- The Ibrox club — who were already eliminated from the competition — went down 3-1 to the Portuguese league leaders.
- Djeidi Gassama had given the visitors an early lead, before Rodrigo Mora and Francisco Moura turned things around for the hosts, who got a third after Emmanual Fernandez headed into his own net before the break.
- Rohl refused to be too downbeat, however, and believes his players have made significant progress since his arrival.
- The German also revealed talks have taken place regarding the the future of teenager Findlay Curtis.
Rangers boss Danny Rohl put last night’s 3-1 Europa League defeat against Porto down to a lack of quality in both boxes — but insists his side are a far better outfit than the one he inherited when he first took charge.
The result put a full stop on a miserable European campaign for the Ibrox club, who will now turn their attention to the Scottish title race – starting with Sunday’s trip to face Hibernian at Easter Road.
Rangers got off to a perfect in Portugal and found themselves one up within six minutes after Djeidi Gassama headed a fine Findlay Curtis cross into the bottom corner.
Teenager Rodrigo Mora then levelled things up for the hosts before the half-hour mark, with Franciso Moura putting them in front following a calamitous mix-up at the back between James Tavernier and Jack Butland.
Porto grabbed a crucial third in the closing stages of the first half, as Emmanuel Fernandez heading into his own goal from a routine corner to consign Rangers to a sixth defeat of this year’s competition.
Rohl told TNT Sports: ‘We started well in the game and were on the front foot.
Rangers manager Danny Rohl admitted his side were beaten by the better team on the night
Djeidi Gassama got the visitors off to a dream start after heading home within six minutes
James Tavernier and Jack Butland collided inside the area to allow the hosts to go ahead
‘For the goal (to make it 1-1) we were a step too late, but that’s normal in football. I must say that 2-1 was too easy, it was the killer in this moment.
‘First half, they controlled the game more and we missed some moments in their half. We had to be brave there because we had the time.
‘Second half, we tried, played with courage and with some good football. But all in all, it was a heavy defeat. For me, it’s about the progress.
‘When I compare this to my first game in Bergen (a 3-0 defeat to SK Brann), there’s obviously a big, big difference.
‘We are competitive, but to win these games, you need to have extra quality in the final third, extra final pass, and this is what we have to work on.’
While the Rangers manager lamented his side’s defensive frailties, he insisted that he is more focused on improving Rangers in forward areas.
When asked about the possibility of bringing in some new faces before the transfer window shuts next week, he said: ‘Manny (Fernandez) had a good performance, John (Souttar) with a good performance, Nasser (Djiga) with a good performance.
‘I think we have a lot of options in defence. For me, it’s about how we can score more goals.
Findlay Curtis provided the assist for the opening goal and has impressed Rohl in recent weeks
‘But we should understand that in this competition, we were not good enough to come through but I saw in the last four games a big step forward.’
One man whose future remains unclear is Findlay Curtis.
The 19-year-old — who has been linked with a loan move in recent weeks — was a surprise starter at the Estadio do Dragao, and his boss admitted he must now decide whether or not the winger will have a part to play at the club over the coming months.
‘I think in general, in the last two weeks, is the reason why he got more minutes,’ Rohl said. ‘He deserved it.
‘We had a good, good talk with him two weeks ago and since then, (there’s been) a big progress in his development.
‘Now we have to make a decision as a club. It’s important at his age to get a lot of minutes and I think this will be the final decision for us.’
