Tochi Chukwuani is Danny Rohl’s most important player after Rangers win vs Hearts – This is why
Tochi Chukwuani is quickly becoming the most important player in Rangers’ hunt for the Scottish Premiership title.
Chukwuani joined Rangers in a £4million move from Austrian side Sturm Graz in January, signing a deal that will last until June 2029.
The 22-year-old helped his former side lift the domestic league title last season and has never struggled with severe injury issues throughout his career.
Chukwuani has been impressive so far for Rangers and has started five of the six games he’s been available for Danny Rohl.
Walking to Ibrox on Sunday, fans would have been nervous before watching Youssef Chermiti and Chukwuani dominate in the 4-2 win.
Tochi Chukwuani provides the defensive stability Rangers need
The defensive midfielder has won 20 caps for Denmark at youth level and was a teammate of Light Blues star Mohamed Diomande during his time at Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.
However, what’s clear is that Diomande can’t replicate the work that Chukwuani does at the heart of the team, especially out of possession.
Rohl opted to go for a 4-2-4 formation against Hearts, and although the first 45 minutes were chaotic, Rangers’ second-half display was completely dominant.
Nicolas Raskin and Chukwuani were holding down the midfield, but they managed to do this with relative ease.
According to Sofascore, Chukwuani won 80 per cent of his ground duels and completed 83 per cent of his passes.
The main reason why Rohl wanted to sign the 22-year-old was his physicality and his ability to win a high number of duels.
| Stat | Chukwuani |
| Appearances | 16 |
| Ground duels won | 54.7% |
| Successful dribbles | 21 |
| Chances created | 15 |
| Tackles | 36 |
His stats at Sturm Graz this season show that he is capable of holding the spine of the team together, which allows for the likes of Raskin, Mikey Moore and Andreas Skov Olsen to have less defensive responsibility.
If Rohl wants to persist with his formation, then he can only do so with Chukwuani in the team.
Without him, the Bears don’t have much balance, and opposition teams would be able to cut through the side in a much easier way.
The Sofascore graphic below shows that he has had a massive impact in Govan, and hopefully, he’ll continue to do so for many years.
This 4-2-4 tactic is certainly one that could be successful over the coming months, but Rohl may have to adapt once Connor Barron returns to the side.
How will Danny Rohl set up the midfield when Connor Barron returns from injury?
Of course, this is the good type of dilemma to have, as Rohl has several top-class midfielders at his disposal.
Barron is out until the start of April with a knee injury, but that means he’ll be back for the final matches of the campaign.
He has been one of Rangers’ best players this season, with his passing accuracy being a huge asset to the midfield.
Barron’s pass accuracy of 88.5 per cent is better than Chukwuani’s total of 85.4 per cent, and he has created 1.52 chances per 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership, as opposed to the Dane’s total of 0.3.
Together, they can play as a double pivot, as they both possess all the traits of a world-class midfielder between them.
This would allow Nico Raskin to play further forward in the number 10 role, which is a position he would excel in.
Having played there under Barry Ferguson last season, the Belgium international has created 35 chances in the top flight this term, and he is a talisman that Rohl needs to utilise in an advanced position.
This may have to wait until Barron returns, but with the arrival of Chukwuani, this is now a very real possibility.
Only time will tell how Rohl adapts his tactics across the season, but it’s safe to say that Chukwuani offers him several different ways to take the team forward.
For more Rangers news and analysis, check out Football Insider to get the inside scoop.