Alious
Former Rangers striker and coach Billy Dodds believes the January transfer window cannot come soon enough for Rangers boss Danny Rohl following his side’s disappointing defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle.
Rohl suffered his first league loss since taking charge at Ibrox as Hearts ran out 2-1 winners on Sunday, extending their lead at the top of the table to 12 points, albeit having played a game more. Goals from Stuart Findlay and Lawrence Shankland proved decisive on a sobering afternoon for Rangers.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound after the match, Dodds suggested that while results under Rohl have largely been positive, performances have not always matched the standards expected at Rangers.
“There’s a sense that things still aren’t quite right at Rangers,” Dodds explained. “They beat Hibs, but it wasn’t convincing. They got the win, and that’s what Rangers supporters demand — there’s nothing wrong with that. But when you manage Rangers, you can’t scrape by every time. You’re expected to dominate and win games convincingly.”
Dodds added that those underlying issues finally caught up with Rohl against Hearts. “At times they haven’t been convincing, even when they’ve picked up results. Today, that lack of authority came back to hurt them. Because of that, he’ll be desperate to bring in players who fit his ideas in January and reset for the next phase.”
Rohl himself did little to hide his frustration after the final whistle, admitting Rangers had missed a major opportunity to make a statement against the league leaders.
“This was a big chance for us, and it hurts to lose it,” the German said. “I talk a lot about progress, but today felt more like a sideways step than a step forward.”
He stressed that results, not performances alone, ultimately define success. “Football isn’t about ‘ifs’ — it’s about outcomes. Today we didn’t get the result we needed, and that allows the gap to open again.”
Rohl felt his side showed promise, particularly before Hearts’ opening goal, but acknowledged how difficult the task became thereafter. “I felt in the first half, up until their first goal, there was more in the game for us. In the second half we threw everything at it — the effort and commitment were there — but in matches like this, coming back isn’t easy.”
With the title race slipping further away, the focus now turns to January, where Rohl will hope new signings can help Rangers regain consistency, control matches more convincingly, and close the gap at the top.
Alious
