DANNY ROHL will become the 21st permanent manager in Rangers’ history but will be the first to take the post in such bizarre circumstances.
Back in the summer, the club’s new American owners talked to the German at length as they sought to get their regime off to a flier.
The 36-year-old is said to have impressed Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe. Just not quite enough to get the gig ahead of Russell Martin.
Fast forward 122 days to the point where time was called on Martin’s disastrous tenure and Rohl was still looking for a road back in after leaving his job with Sheffield Wednesday, to that point, his only posting in front-line football management.
He again talked to the board and again they liked the cut of his jib. Just not enough to save fans’ favourite Steven Gerrard the trouble of flying to London for talks. Or to then prevent negotiations with Kevin Muscat reaching an ‘advanced stage’ once Gerrard withdrew.
Danny Rohl has been appointed the next manager of Rangers
Rohl has management experience from his time in charge of Sheffield Wednesday
Seemingly unhappy with being left hanging as Muscat’s prospective start date became the source of a national debate, Rohl also opted to save face last week and counted himself out.
There was talk of him moving to Norwich City if Liam Manning was ditched. Having twice spoken with Rangers only to be effectively told ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you,’ you could hardly blame him for looking elsewhere.
Yet, here we have it. An unsuccessful applicant four months ago. Third choice, at best, second time around, and at one point completely out of the running. But now the chosen one. It’s what you might term a hard sell.
As is the way of football clubs in such circumstances, Rangers will no doubt insist that Rohl is the right man for their structure at this time.
They’ll claim that the talks with Gerrard and Muscat were part of the ‘rigorous, thoughtful recruitment process’ they’d promised in an open letter to fans after they sacked Martin. You wouldn’t expect them to say anything else.
But the fact remains that Rohl didn’t bowl them over across two separate rounds of talks to the extent that they didn’t look elsewhere.
Had the hierarchy harboured no doubts about him second time around, he could have started work the day after Martin departed and been ready to take charge of the side against Dundee United on Saturday. That didn’t happen.
The length of time it’s taken for a convoluted process to conclude is hardly a ringing endorsement.
Steven Gerrard was favourite to take over from Russell Martin but turned the job down
Australian Kevin Muscat was close to being appointed before negotations stalled
Whoever took charge of Rangers at this juncture was always signing up for the most arduous of tasks. Supporters’ perception of Rohl as the last man standing after Gerrard and Muscat backed out makes his even more difficult.
But such ambivalence would seem to be inordinately unfair on an individual who is light on managerial experience yet not short on testimonies from those who believe he’s an outstanding coach.
Like so many of the current generation of managers, Rohl had no great playing career to speak of.
Injuries restricted his time to run-outs with his hometown team FSV Zwickau, Sachsen Leipzig II and Eilenburg and prompted an early dalliance with coaching.
He began working at RB Leipzig, progressed to become assistant manager to Ralph Hasenhuttl, and helped the side finish second in the Bundesliga in 2019.
When the Austrian took charge of Southampton in 2018, he moved to bring Rohl with him.
‘He was the man that brought all the tactics in,’ recalled Saints striker Charlie Austin.
‘At the time, his English wasn’t so great and Ralf used to stand next to him on the side and then he would come in and basically just relay what Danny had told him in German really.
‘He was a phenomenal coach, he really was. Rangers fans will say “do you think he’s going to beat Russell Martin 2.0?”
‘But you don’t go and work for clubs like he has done and the German national team if you don’t have something about you.
‘The biggest bit is going to Rangers and realising how big the club is. But I’d be excited about him coming in.
‘Yes, you haven’t got someone like Gerard or Muscat, that’s affiliated to the club already. But you’ve got someone that’s coming in, a young hungry manager, that will have you off your seat.’
Bayern Munich certainly sat up and took notice. Rohl returned to Germany after nine months in England to take up a role as ‘analysis assistant coach’ under Hansi Flick. When Flick took charge of the national team two years later, he made Rohl one of his assistants.
The jump into management seemed inevitable at some stage. When the opportunity arose at Sheffield Wednesday two years ago this month, Rohl could have been forgiven for biding his time.
The Owls were then bottom of the Championship with just three points from 11 games.
It didn’t immediately get much better after he arrived with just four points taken from seven matches.
But starting with a home win over Blackburn in early December, something clicked. A side which was seemingly doomed after tasting victory just once in 18 matches won 14 out of 28 to stay up.
Danny Rohl has previously coached with Bayern Munich as well as the German national team
‘Danny had a winning mindset from his first meeting,’ said then Wednesday skipper Barry Bannan.
‘He was only young, but he came across as highly confident. He took to Sheffield Wednesday and the fans took to him right away because of the passion he showed.
‘I’ll put my neck out on the line and say he is the best manager I have worked under. He is brilliant.’
The key to a dramatic turnaround in fortunes was apparently Rohl’s willingness to adapt. While he preferred a high press and getting the ball forward quickly, the style of play changed depending on the opponent.
While the happiness at Hillsborough didn’t last, there were mitigating factors.
Wednesday’s 12th-placed finish in Rohl’s only full season was achieved amid a backdrop of financial instability which ultimately led to his departure in the summer and his reappearance on Rangers’ radar.
Inheriting a side which has won just one league game from eight and a squad containing far more misses than hits following Martin’s ill-advised summer splurge, anyone expecting him to immediately transform Rangers’ fortunes needs a dose of reality.
He needs time and patience, things which are about as bountiful in Glasgow as outdoor swimming pools, and faces an audience which is still smarting like a jilted bride.
By hook or by crook, though, the outsider is finally in the building. Rangers fans can only hope he proves to be a dark horse.
