Rangers

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers boss Danny Rohl has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to host Motherwell on Saturday.

Here are the main points from his press conference:

• The head coach confirms there will be no training for Rangers on Christmas Day but stresses they'll be on the grass every day before then and back in again on 26 December.

• The boss says "it's not really Christmas" with the busy schedule over the coming weeks but he's excited for all the games coming their way.

• Rohl admits the players were "really down" after the Hearts defeat but insists it's his job to "bring it back" and pick the players up.

• The German is not ruling out Rangers' chance in the title race, stressing "there are still 20 games to go" and feels a victory over Motherwell would put them right back into the equation.

• But it will require "a proper fight" from his Rangers side to get back on track.

• He describes the defeat to Hearts as a small setback.

• Team news: John Souttar has been back in training might not be fit for Saturday's game. Oliver Antman has made "steps forward" while Nedim Bajrami "needs a couple more days". Derek Cornelius is long-term and it's likely to be February before he's back.

Eintracht Frankfurt are reportedly preparing a bid for Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl, who has been on Rangers' radar. (Daily Record), external

Rangers are going to be "busy" in the January transfer window, with chairman Andrew Cavenagh backing manager Danny Rohl "as best he can", says former Ibrox skipper Barry Ferguson. (Daily Record), external

"Bang average" Rangers are "an injury for Mikey Moore away from total collapse", reckons former Ibrox striker Kris Boyd, who laments a lack of creativity in the current squad. (Scottish Sun), external

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland

Has the 2-1 defeat at Tynecastle dealt a fatal blow to Rangers' title hopes?

Danny Rohl's men, who still retain a game in hand, had the chance to narrow the gap on table-topping Hearts to six points with a game in hand.

Instead, the German's first league defeat leaves his side with a 12-point chasm as they slipped to fourth place. Second-place Celtic are now six points above Rangers.

Shock frontrunners Hearts are showing few signs of not lasting the pace. They've suffered just one league defeat in 18, winning 12 - more than any other side - and won all four meetings with the Old Firm.

So it leaves Rangers with plenty of catching up to do amid "tough times" - as midfielder Nicolas Raskin acknowledged.

"We don't have room for error. It's been like that since the start of the season, we can't afford to lose more points," the Belgium international said.

"We are not happy, we tried our best [on Sunday] and we need to stick together now and improve every game."

Raskin admitted Sunday's defeat at Tynecastle was a "reality check" after Rohl's promising start of six wins and two draws in his first eight Premiership matches.

"We are disappointed and very frustrated," he said. "We can't throw everything away but we need to be honest, look at the moment and say we've not been good enough.

"I feel it a lot, everyone in the dressing room is very hurt. There comes a point where we will get back to where we need to be. It's just some tough times right now."

Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart reckons that while Rohl has done an "incredible job" so far, defeat to Hearts exposed the "deficiencies" in Rangers' squad, stemming from a poor summer transfer window.

And Stewart has written off Rangers' title hopes, saying the 12-point gap is "probably too big" to bridge.

Former Premiership striker Cillian Sheridan agrees, telling the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast it's difficult to see Rangers going on an "amazing run" and adding: "Rohl came in and steadied the ship, grinded out results, got them back to winning.

"But I still think they're, defensively, all over the place. They look like every team in the league can score against them."

We asked for your views on Rangers' 2-1 defeat against Premiership leaders Hearts at Tynecastle.

Here are some of your comments:

Gerry: No guts, no glory, dreadful performance. After the first 10/15 mins it was downhill all the way, two Jack Butland errors cost the game. It shows maybe he should be dropped for the next couple of game. We were outfought, outmuscled and outplayed.

Fraser: While Danny Rohl has steadied the ship, the truth is the league was lost by September thanks to the appointment of an inept manager. Our defence is shocking and wouldn't look out of place in the lower leagues. We have one decent striker in Bojan Miovski, a massive rebuild for Rohl in January.

Derek: How many goals is Butland going to cost us? His ball distribution is diabolical for the first goal, and as for the second goal, the least said the better. Makes some great saves, but that's what he's paid for! Another solid performance from Dujon Sterling. To all those who said Shankland wasn't good enough, he's certainly answered those critics, and would've been a free!

Billy: An opportunity to close the gap was negated by poor decision-making, a lack of fight, quality and leadership. A poor performance that underlines where we really are.

Brian: Butland proves yet again why he has been never good enough and why he always has a mistake in him. Time and again his distribution is poor and his judgement is suspect. He handed Hearts this game on a plate. Max Aarons once again gave a masterclass in being a very poor player.

Ronnie: Rangers had plenty of the ball. We fought all the way. That's the positives. Despite our possession we created practically nothing other than the offside goal. Hearts could we have had five. Our lack of a goalscorer and our inability to create real chances cost us again.

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Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, who turned down the chance of returning to Ibrox earlier this season, insists he could make the club "good again". (Daily Record), external

Read all of Monday's Scottish Gossip

Watch the best of the action from Tynecastle as Premiership leaders Hearts bolster their title credentials with a 2-1 win over Rangers. (Available to UK users only)

Rangers stay fourth in the Scottish Premiership, now 12 points adrift of Hearts after losing 2-1 away to the league leaders.

Stuart Findlay and Lawrence Shankland had the hosts two ahead by the break before Youssef Chermiti's stoppage-time reply.

Read the full match report.

Give us your thoughts.

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Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is not ready to rule his side out of the Scottish title race despite their 2-1 defeat by Hearts.

"Of course we are disappointed - we want to win this game," he told BBC Scotland. "We knew before it would be a tough place to come and I felt, until the first conceded goal, both teams played good football, we were good organised, we had our moments, they had their moments.

"And then we conceded two goals very quick and it changed the game and then it's tough to come back.

"If you can score earlier than some minutes to go, we are in the game, but in the end we lose 2-1 and it is tough today."

Rangers had an early goal ruled out for offside.

"I thought we deserved the 1-0," Rohl said. "Then they scored and it gives them energy.

"Now we have to react well. Today was a little bit a step sidewards and we have to improve.

"It is tough to come back, but step by step, game by game, we have still a lot of games to go.

"We need consistently good performances and get results and, if we do that, we are in a good way."

Goalkeeper Jack Butland was at fault for both goals, but Rohl added: "I think Jack has saved a lot of points and had clean sheets. This is part of football.

"We should not talk about individuals. It is key moments as a group."

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Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland is comfortable with Hearts being regarded as favourites against Rangers on Sunday. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Home manager Derek McInnes hopes the Hearts crowd will be extra vocal against Rangers at Tynecastle. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

When Hearts went to Ibrox in September, things were a bit different in the Scottish Premiership.

Russell Martin was Rangers manager and Brendan Rodgers was still at Celtic, but one constant is that Hearts were at the top of the tree after they secured their first victory at Ibrox in 18 visits since August 2014.

Lawrence Shankland fired in the opener after being played in on goal by Claudio Braga, with Rangers incensed it wasn't chalked off for an apparent handball in the build-up by the Scotland striker.

Shankland wrapped up the 2-0 win late on, sweeping home the rebound after his original penalty kick was saved by Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.

A repeat result at Tynecastle on Sunday would take Hearts 12 points ahead of Rangers in the table, having played a game more.

Conversely, Rangers could move within six points of the league leaders with a game in hand if they continue their strong domestic form under new head coach Danny Rohl.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Mohamed Diomande is hoping a Rangers title charge can help him win a place at the World Cup finals with the Ivory Coast national team.

The midfielder has been capped eight times and last turned out for "Les Elephants" in June when he scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out against the hosts in the Canada Shield, after coming on as a substitute.

But Diomande has been left out of his national team squad for the African Cup of Nations which begins this weekend.

That means he'll be available for Danny Rohl's Rangers for the duration of the tournament in Morocco which runs until the middle of January.

"Obviously there is a bit of disappointment but I am happy that I am here in one of the biggest clubs," the 24-year-old said.

"I just focus on myself and I am going to support my national team. I hope we can be victorious again in the AFCON. I am grateful because when I joined the club I made the step to be an international player.

"I will focus on the things I can do to improve. Maybe it is going to change what they [Ivory Coast] think of me. Maybe they will see some different aspects of me and I'm able to to make it to the squad."

But Diomande insists that Rangers are his priority as they prepare to play six games in the next three weeks.

"Obviously I want to focus on Rangers and hopefully win something," he added.

"That's what I wanted when I joined Rangers. We have had a good run and we've put ourselves in a good situation."

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Hearts have midfielders Beni Baningime and Calem Nieuwenhof back in contention after hamstring problems. Ageu and Finlay Pollock remain out with similar injuries.

Rangers defender Nasser Djiga has left for Africa Cup of Nations duty. Lyall Cameron has had an injection and will miss out while Bojan Miovski will be assessed.

Rangers remain without John Souttar, Derek Cornelius, Nedim Bajrami and Oliver Antman with muscle injuries. Rabbi Matondo (knee) is closing in on a comeback while Kieran Dowell is fit again.

Tromso's sporting director expects players to leave in January, with Rangers credited with an interest in £3.5m-rated midfielder Jens Hjerto Dahl, 20. (Daily Record), external

A centre-back, ball-dominating centre-midfielder and striker are the January priorities for Rangers boss Danny Rohl. (Daily Record), external

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Mikey Moore is back from injury and working his way into the good books of Rangers supporters.

The 18-year-old joined on loan from Tottenham in the summer with a reputation as one of English football's next big things, but failed to set the heather alight under previous boss Russell Martin.

Moore played 10 games across all competitions under Martin and failed to sore in an admittedly malfunctioning team, albeit he set up Nedim Bajrami in the 4-2 League Cup win over Alloa Athletic.

Moore had four shots, one on target, nine touches in the opposition box and created one chance in his five league games under Martin.

In terms of distribution, he played 12 passes into the box and had a passing accuracy of 66.7%.

Since Danny Rohl's arrival Moore has been deployed more centrally, rather than out wide, and has begun to flourish - as his numbers show.

The teenager has made five Premiership appearances under Rohl, scoring twice from just four shots on target.

He's had 12 touches in the opposition box and created four chances, completed 10 passes into the box and his passing accuracy has increased to 86.6%.

Moore returned from a month-long injury absence in the 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock earlier this month, coming off the bench and netting in his 14 minutes on the pitch, then was given the nod to start in Monday night's 1-0 win over Hibs, attempting four shots and creating one chance.

"He's won the fans over," former Rangers striker Billy Dodds told BBC Sportsound.

"He hadn't done that at the start of the season. You can see he's got ability, it's now about where you play him in this team."

With Rangers looking to give their title hopes a major boost with victory at leaders Hearts on Sunday, rejuvenated Moore could have a key role to play.

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Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is keen to add "a lot of players" in January and says talks have begun with prospective signings.

With Rangers having sacked sporting director Kevin Thelwell last month, Rohl is taking a more prominent role in planning for his first transfer window as Ibrox boss.

He is working with the club's new football consultant and advisor, Stig Inge Bjornebye, to bolster his options in the new year.

"The wishes are to get a lot of players in on 1 January," the German boss said.

"But I think in this window will be about timing, that's the first part, and the second thing is preparation. We're trying to prepare some things now.

"We have talks with agents, with maybe potential players, ongoing conversations, but I think this is normal.

"This is a normal process. But the most important key is that I have a good conversation with my recruitment team and with my guys around me.

"Then we'll make sure that we find the right players."

Rohl wouldn't be drawn on which positions he was specifically targeting but suggested he needs a lot of different profiles.

"If I speak about the positions I want then maybe the price goes higher up," he joked.

"There are two shapes I want to play so we need different profiles and different positions.

"You can play a back five but you can swap one of the wing-back positions with a winger and on the other side you play a full-back.

"If you play a back four, then the full-back should be more defender than wingers. I think this is crucial. And for this normally you can double up some positions.

"And then you have different profiles. But I don't like that I have just one plan A, because then the opponent are not stupid, they are also looking what we are doing. This is also important to give them a challenge."

Rangers boss Danny Rohl gets in the festive spirit by handing out chocolate Santas to members of the media at the club's news conference on Friday.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Danny Rohl has been speaking to the media before Rangers travel to face Premiership leaders Hearts on Sunday.

Here are the key lines:

• Rohl says he's been talking with potential January signings and discussing targets with the club's new football consultant Stig Inge Bjornebye.

• The Ibrox boss adds: "The wishes are to get a lot of players in on 1 January. But I think in this window will be about timing, that's the first part, and the second thing is preparation. We're trying to prepare some things now. We have talks with agents, with maybe potential players, ongoing conversations."

• He says he has to think about how potential signings "handle setbacks, how they handle pressure" and the expectation of playing at Rangers.

• He doesn't want to say which positions he's looking to strengthen - because if he does then "maybe the price goes higher".

• Lyall Cameron is out for Sunday's match and Bojan Miovski is still a "question mark" after missing the Hibs game. Nasser Djiga is away to the Africa Cup of Nations.

• On Hearts, Rohl says they will be tough opponents and expects a "tight" game but a win would be the "next step" for Rangers and move them within six points of the top.

• He adds: "It's great, this is the challenge we want. I think it will be a great atmosphere in the stadium as well. We are prepared for this and we are looking forward."

• On the title race, Rohl says beating Hibs was a "big one" for Rangers when not at their best and it started an important period. They'll know where they are after the six-match run up to their Scottish Cup tie.

• Rohl says Rangers have to consistently take points - "otherwise you destroy all the good work" done so far - and still have room for improvement.

• He adds the players are critical with themselves. The results at the moment are there but "our job is not to be lazy" and just take results, "we have to be critical after wins as well".

Rangers have intensified their interest in 20-year-old Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl ahead of the January transfer window. (TeamTalk), external

Former Rangers head coach contender Davide Ancelotti has been sacked by Brazilian club Botofago after the 36-year-old made a poor start to his first managerial role in football. (The Herald), external

Thanks to their near-constant availability for Rangers, right-back James Tavernier and midfielder Nicolas Raskin have been named in the world's most physically robust outfield players in a new study by CIES Football Observatory. (The National), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

• After their 2-0 win in September, Hearts are looking to earn back-to-back top-flight victories over Rangers for the first time since April 1996.

• Rangers are unbeaten in eight league visits to Hearts (W6 D2) since a 2-1 defeat in January 2020 under Steven Gerrard.

• Hearts remain the only side to have won against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership this season; on only three previous occasions have the Ibrox side suffered both of their first two league defeats of a season to the same opponent, doing so in 1936-37 (Hearts), 1990-91 (Dundee United), and 2001-02 (Celtic).

• This is Rangers' final away league game of 2025, while they are unbeaten in their 18 matches on the road in the Premiership (W9 D9). Should they avoid defeat here, it will be the seventh time they have completed a calendar year without losing an away league game, after 1897 (seven games), 1899 (seven), 1920 (19), 1967 (17), 1973 (15), and 2013 (17).

• Hearts have won all three of their league meetings with Celtic (two) and Rangers (one) this season. The last side to win four consecutive top-flight clashes with the two Old Firm clubs were Dundee from February to September 1985.

Rangers want former player Lee McCulloch, who is currently talent acquistion manager with Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion, to join their recruitment set-up at Ibrox. (Alan Nixon on Patreon), external

Gauthier Ganaye does not have the CV required to replace Patrick Stewart as Rangers' new chief executive despite his experience with Barnsley and Nice, according to former Aberdeen and Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness. (Football Insider), external

Former Rangers striker Steven Naismith is in the running for the manager's job with Kilmarnock after Stuart Kettlewell was sacked on Monday. (Football Insider), external

Former Rangers loanee Aaron Ramsey has had his contract terminated by Pumas three months into his one-year deal after the 34-year-old midfielder's injury hit start in Mexico. (The Scotsman), external

Rangers have launched a supporter survey to gauge opinions over potential expansions at Ibrox Stadium. (The Herald), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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