Danny Rohl does something vs Celtic that prove he can do what Russell Martin could never
Danny Rohl has named his starting line-up for the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park on Sunday.
Rangers hired Rohl last week, with the German now set to oversee his first-ever Old Firm derby.
The last clash between the two ended scoreless at Ibrox, with neither team managing to create much of anything at all.
But after Rangers beat Hibernian 1-0 on Wednesday, Rohl will be confident that his team can emerge victorious from the latest meeting with their Glasgow rivals.
Brendan Rodgers resigned at Celtic this week, with Martin O’Neill now set to be in the dugout.
Danny Rohl makes three changes vs Celtic
Rohl confirmed that Rabbi Matondo and Dujon Sterling could have been in the squad against Celtic, but neither player has made it to the bench.
The German has made changes to the team that beat Hibernian, however, with James Tavernier coming back into the line-up in place of Max Aarons.
Thelo Aasgaard has also returned to the starting XI, with Mikey Moore dropped to the bench despite a positive performance on Wednesday.
Mohamed Diomande is the last change, with the midfielder replacing the suspended Connor Barron.
The changes suggest that Rohl has opted for a more defensive three-at-the-back, with Jayden Meghoma and Tavernier expected to offer the width for Rangers.
Aasgaard, Diomande, and Nicolas Raskin are expected to form a flat midfield three, while the in-form Danilo and Youssef Chermiti will lead the attack.
Rohl’s adaptability on full show
Russell Martin prompted such frustration during his time at Rangers, due to his reluctance to ever waver from his system.
Even when it clearly was not working, Martin would continuously deploy the same system with different players, expecting a different result.
| Rangers vs Celtic – last five meetings | Season |
| Rangers 0-0 Celtic | 25-26 |
| Rangers 1-1 Celtic | 24-25 |
| Celtic 2-3 Rangers | 24-25 |
| Rangers 3-0 Celtic | 24-25 |
| Celtic 3-3 Rangers | 24-25 |
In just four games in charge, Rohl has already tweaked his system several times. In the Germans’ first game, Rangers played a back-four.
In his second, the Gers played a back-three, with Tavernier’s inclusion at centre-back and Djeidi Gassama‘s deployment in front of him allowing Rohl’s team to shift to a more usual back-four when in possession.
Against Celtic, however, the 36-year-old has clearly identified the danger of the opposition and has elected to provide more defensive security. His adaptability will be a trait that will help Rangers throughout the season.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Rangers news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247