04 Feb 2026 11:56:38
We need to win tonight.
Hearts, dropping points, has allowed us the opportunity to close the gap.
Sunday against Hibs was a bump in the road. Result wise, I saw it coming. But the actual performance was a disaster & disappointment all over the park.
Looking back though, maybe the outcry was an overreaction.
Under Martin we went:-
DDDDLWD
Dropping a grand total of 13 points from a potential 21 points.
New signings were failing to impress.
We then dropped a further 2 points under interim manager Steven Smith.
Under Rohl, the failings at the start of the season looked a distant memory.
WWWWDDWWLWWWWWWD
Dropping only 7 points from a potential 48 points.
We all expected a blip after the "new manager" bounce. That has never really materialised ( excluding Europa League games ).
Domestically, Rohl and the much-maligned players have got us right back in this title race.
Solid at the back – least goals conceded in the league along with Motherwell and 53% of those came under the Martin & Smith tenures.
Scoring more – about a goal a game under martin to just about 2 per game under Rohl ( and that's with a variety of misfiring strikers ).
We now need to keep up the pressure on Hearts ( and Celtic ) by picking up more wins.
Killie, Motherwell, Hearts and Livi are all winnable in February even though a couple are more difficult than others.
But if we have aspirations of being in a title race, these are the games we need to lay down a marker with.
Hearts won't always slip up.
Celtic are more steady under O'Neil.
Keep the Faith.
In Rohl We Trust.?⚪?
04 Feb 2026 12:42:30
But we have a habit of shooting ourselves in the foot when opportunities present themselves. Need to be ruthless tonight.
04 Feb 2026 12:50:11
Still a newish team and trying to adapt to a manager's way of play. Confidence always seems to be an issue in the background. I think, with all that, we are going to have blips between now and end of season.
Good for team if they happen to learn how to recover quickly. Hoping the blip was just a Euro hangover, but suspect there will be more twists in the road to come.
04 Feb 2026 13:12:35
100% a draw at Easter Road isn't the end of the world. It's more the performance needs to be better. Didn't create much. But Thursday night away from home in Europe does take it out of players. Big performance tonight needed.
04 Feb 2026 13:39:13
Us, Hearts and the Tims are all playing with a "newish team", so there is absolutely no advantage amongst the 3 of us on that count.
Hearts, admittedly, have been the more stable club when it comes to managers. However, the Tims have seen 3 managerial changes, compared to our 1, so on that front, we have been more stable than them.
Now, compare money spent this season, and we are way out front on that. In fact, we have spent way more than Hearts and the Tims combined.
A victory tonight and we are only 3 points behind Hearts, with plenty of games left.
Regardless of where we were under Martin, means nada now we are back in contention. We have spent a fortune on our team, and dr must make it count. There can't be, and must not be, any excuses! The title must be won this season, and if it's not, it will be a total disaster.
No more "shooting ourselves in the foot" as Fork alluded to. We are way beyond that!
04 Feb 2026 13:48:30
Absolutely bang on with that statement, SS, and I'm sure you might get some backlash from certain people on here, but make no excuses.
We have got right back into it and had the best January window out of the 3 clubs. What we need now is these players to show they have it in them to give 100% for every minute of every game and put in the effort required to win a title.
We have no more excuses of European hangovers and will have even more time for Danny Rohl to implement the ideas he wants.
04 Feb 2026 14:01:21
Spot on, SS. ?
04 Feb 2026 14:07:10
I'm sure the usual suspects will be up in arms, Jim. Bring it on! ??
04 Feb 2026 14:52:22
The only thing I would say, SS, is they have a manager who knows how to win big games, but I would question if that's enough to get them through the season. I would like to see everyone involved with the club getting back to remembering we are Rangers and expect rather than hoping, me included in that.
04 Feb 2026 14:56:03
SS, do you word your statements to court controversy? What will you do if we don't win it? Want Danny Rohl sacked and get rid of all the players, demand the board are replaced, or what?
We do not have a right to demand we win anything. Most of the players we have have never won a league. Money doesn't guarantee anything these days.
04 Feb 2026 15:00:00
Sunshine, I disagree. If we win the league this year, it is an absolute bonus to where we were. Danny probably needs 1 more window, with him being backed in the transfer market in the summer. Next season, we need to be real contenders.
Can't expect a new manager coming in with a team of disjointed players, I think, who were 12 points from the top of the table in 6th position, to say if we don't win the league this season will be a disaster, or whatever it is you said.
04 Feb 2026 15:10:23
Correct, SS. Sick to death of excuses. If DR is the leader and winner we all hope he is, the league can't be allowed to slip away.
04 Feb 2026 15:16:55
Davie, read what he has said, the position we are in as of right now. Regardless of what has come before, we are in a great position to go on and win the title. Rohl did great to get us back into it, but we are now stronger in terms of quality, so have zero excuses if we bottle it from here.
04 Feb 2026 16:04:14
"Can't expect a new manager coming in with a team of disjointed players"?! Hmmmmm! Unless you're Postecoglou?! Or O'Neil, if he wins it?!
Apologies for being so pedantic. ??
04 Feb 2026 17:02:22
I think we can dial back the insults for having a different take. I would expect nothing else.
You mentioned Hearts are the more stable side and sit 6 points ahead, but then said there are "no excuses" if we don't win. Surely that means the advantage is firmly with them?
Money doesn't always guarantee results, just look at the fortunes spent by Manchester United in previous seasons or Liverpool this season. How many trophies does that spend give them? We have also spent large sums in previous seasons without any success, so to say it is expected this season makes no sense given that history.
All three teams have overhauled their squads to be as competitive as possible, regardless of the price tags.
Hearts have done great to be top, but let's be honest, the managerial chaos at the Old Firm helped them out.
Most people would agree neither club would've dropped as many points if their current managers had been in place from day one.
On the manager count, if we're being exact, Celtic have only had two. If you are counting O'Neill twice, then surely the one game from Stevie Smith counts.
And I know you aren't a fan of Danny Rohl, but clawing back a 13-point gap to just 6 in 16 games so far shows he has some idea of what he is doing at the club and with the team. He deserves a real chance regardless of how this season ends, and most fair-minded fans would agree.
One last thing, calling a trophyless season a "disaster" is a bit much, isn't it? Real disasters are much heavier than football results. Let's keep a bit of perspective!
04 Feb 2026 18:41:58
One thing I do agree with you, Angus, is it's not a disaster if we don't win the league, as we are building, hopefully, for years to come, not just a one-off title like SG won.