NafisaRangers have shown in recent weeks that their mentality is fragile, and that problem surfaced again during the 3-1 defeat to Celtic.
Danny Rohl’s side were comfortably overpowered at Parkhead, with a Daizen Maeda double proving decisive in another crushing afternoon for the Ibrox club.
The Gers have now watched their title hopes disappear after once again showing they are simply not at the level required to compete consistently with Celtic or Hearts.
Tuur Rommens found himself surrounded by five Celtic players as tempers flared during the Old Firm showdown, and the reaction from his teammates spoke volumes.
Rangers players were slow getting across to support their teammate, and the one player who immediately rushed over was perhaps the most surprising of all.
Why Celtic flashpoint summed up Rangers problem:
Mikey Moore has impressed during his loan spell from Tottenham, and it was the young winger who instantly sprinted across to back Rommens during the confrontation.
The rest of the side reacted far more slowly, with Bojan Miovski, Youssef Chermiti, Conor Barron and Djeidi Gassama only arriving around 12 seconds later.
The fact it was a loan player, someone with less emotional attachment to the club than many permanent members of the squad, who first stepped in for a teammate reflects badly on the rest of the side.
It summed up concerns supporters have had about this Rangers group for weeks.
There has been a growing feeling that too many players disappear when pressure rises, particularly in the biggest matches of the season.
Why it raises fresh concerns over Rohl’s Rangers future:
The major question now is whether Rohl can truly get his squad emotionally fired up, and based on current evidence, with the team collapsing repeatedly in recent weeks and taking so long to defend their teammate, the answer does not look encouraging.
That will surely be a massive concern for Andrew Cavenagh and the rest of the Rangers hierarchy when discussions eventually take place over the German’s long-term future in the dugout.
Rohl himself looked completely deflated on the touchline during parts of the second half as Celtic took total control of the derby.
If he cannot install the right mentality within the squad and push them to raise their standards against elite opposition, then Rangers will continue falling short whenever major honours are on the line.
There is expected to be huge speculation surrounding his future over the coming days and weeks, with pressure beginning to increase after another painful collapse.
It remains unclear which direction the Ibrox board will choose to go.
But the scenes at Parkhead certainly do not reflect well on Rohl, it has to be said, and there are now major doubts surrounding just how far he can really take this Rangers side moving forward.
Nafisa
