Rangers' Dramatic Comeback Victory Over Hearts Shows Squad's Unquestionable Character
Danny Rohl, the Rangers head coach, firmly believes that his team's dramatic victory over Hearts at Ibrox has conclusively demonstrated that the character of his squad is now beyond all question. Twice trailing to the league leaders during the match, Rangers displayed remarkable resilience to bounce back and secure a vital 4-2 win, largely thanks to a spectacular hat-trick from Youssef Chermiti.
Closing the Gap in the Title Race
This result marks a significant shift in the Scottish Premiership title race. When Rohl took over, Rangers were a daunting 13 points adrift of Hearts. Now, with just 11 games remaining in the season, the gap has been dramatically reduced to a mere two points. While Rohl acknowledged that his team remains a work in progress, he emphasised that the manner of this comeback victory underscored the substantial mental strength developing within the group.
'You need to take things step by step,' Rohl stated. 'But big respect to my group. I think we showed today how big the personality is, how big the character is. Let's not speak until the end of the season about the mentality of this group, because we have a lot of mentality.'
Vindication for Team Selection
The head coach faced criticism earlier in the week for leaving out key players like Tuur Rommens, Andreas Skov Olsen, and Ryan Naderi during a draw at Motherwell. Evidently feeling vindicated by the performances across both matches, Rohl explained his squad rotation strategy.
'When you look at a week like this, and you know you have two big games where you need high intensity for over 90, 95 minutes, then you have to manage the squad,' he added. 'Otherwise, you cannot maintain that level every 72 hours. That was the reason for my decisions this week. At the end, we won, so it's a big credit to my group.'
Focus on Collective Strength Over Individual Praise
Despite Youssef Chermiti scoring the first hat-trick of his career, Rohl was reluctant to single out the Portuguese forward for individual praise, instead focusing on the collective effort.
'I think more important is what we do as a group,' he stressed. 'We've developed a lot of resilience since I've been here. We go again and again, even after small setbacks. I try to be the leader of this group, leading by example. Since I'm here, in terms of points taken, we are top of the league. It comes from a lot of effort, improvements, and development. We stick together.'
Hearts Remain Confident Despite Defeat
Hearts manager Derek McInnes, while disappointed with his team's fourth away defeat in the Premiership, was keen to stress that his side remains at the summit of the table. He revealed that experienced players in the dressing room had already reminded the group of their league position before he had the chance.
'I think one or two of them stole my thunder a wee bit with that in the dressing room already before I spoke,' McInnes said. 'And I did say win, lose or draw, nothing's going to be decided today. We've missed an opportunity, but we're still top of the league. We need to keep a bit of calmness and recognise what's good about us.'
Title Race Promises More Drama
McInnes expressed confidence that his team can secure vital points in upcoming home fixtures against Falkirk, Aberdeen, and Dundee. He also predicted a dramatic conclusion to the season across the entire league.
'I think there will be twists and turns, to be honest,' he added. 'You only have to look at other results. There are a lot of teams fighting—whether at the top, for Europe, or for survival. I think you'll see a lot of dramatic finishes because there's so much on it for so many teams.'
For Rangers, the focus remains firmly on consistency. When asked about momentum in the title race, Rohl concluded: 'Look, on Wednesday we spoke about our momentum being done, over. Now, two days later, we speak about momentum again. It's all about the next match, consistently again and again. It's nice that we have a title race with three teams, and we are in the middle of it. This feels good.'
