Danny Rohl fixes Russell Martin with Rangers summer signing in win vs Hibernian
Rangers have achieved back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership for the first time this season.
Rangers triumphed in a 1-0 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road on 29 October, thanks to an early opener from Danilo and a late penalty save by Jack Butland.
When Danny Rohl took over at Ibrox, the Gers were barely keeping their heads above water.
However, a couple of weeks into the job, Rangers are 10th on the table with a renewed sense of optimism growing at Ibrox.
Neil McCann pinpoints how Danny Rohl’s system has helped Nasser Djiga
Rangers signed Nasser Djiga from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan over the summer.
Djiga had a shaky start under Russell Martin, often prone to the odd mistake during games. However, the defender shone in the Gers’ win over Hibernian.
Indeed, he won 100 per cent of his aerial duels and 75 per cent of his ground duels according to Sofascore.
His strong performance did not go unnoticed by Neil McCann, who pointed out via BBC Sportscene on 29 October what has changed under Rohl while describing Djiga’s last man tackle on Thibault Kildje.
He said: “In that back three, at times under [Russell] Martin, the two centre-backs were left isolated.
“But the one thing [Djiga’s] got is an aggression in his game. Another thing he’s got is that, an afterburner. Because I’ll tell you what, Klidje is quick, and he’s got a couple of yards on him there, and he makes it up, times his tackle perfectly.
“Again on the back foot here, really difficult header, making sure he’s getting contact. He did [struggle early on], but I think it’s genuinely how Rangers were playing. The fullbacks were either inside, or they were one high and one inside, and they never ever had any cover.
“Maybe that’s why Martin wanted to play high because of the pace of Djiga, but you can’t go two for two at times, and Rangers were doing that earlier this season. But with the three centre-backs, it allows him to pick his time when he steps up. But he played really well and he’s a big part of that clean sheet.”
If his solid form continues, things could truly be looking up for Djiga at Rangers.
How did Rangers perform as a defensive unit against Hibernian?
Rangers were the better defensive side on the night, winning 54 per cent of their total duels compared to Hibernian’s 46 per cent.
- Rohl’s side won 53 per cent of their ground duels
- The Hibs only won 47 per cent of their ground duels
- Rangers were dispossessed eight times compared to Hilbernian’s nine
In addition to this, the Gers won 15 tackles, winning an astonishing 73 per cent, while Hilbernian won 64 per cent of their total tackles.
While it could be argued that Hibernian were the stronger attacking side, creating two big chances to Rangers’ zero, keeping a clean sheet away from home is nothing to be looked down upon.
Indeed, it was a complete defensive performance from beginning to end, where Rangers dominated in almost every metric.
Therefore, after such a huge win, fans will be cautiously optimistic about Rohl and their team moving forward.
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