‘I should have learned my lesson’ – Pundit admits defeat after Rangers ‘backlash’
Danny Rohl has made a positive start to life at Rangers, but not all have believed in the manager’s reign at Ibrox.
Rangers lost 3-0 to Brann in the Europa League to kick off the former Sheffield Wednesday boss’ tenure, but since that embarrassing result, the Gers have won back-to-back Scottish Premiership clashes.
Those results have moved the team up to third in the league table, but with Rangers facing Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday, 2 November, Rohl is already being faced with his biggest challenge yet.
Rohl is still working out his best lineup at Ibrox, with several stars being benched against Hibernian last time out, and it was some of those decisions that Tam McManus was baffled by on social media.
Tam McManus admits to getting it wrong over Rangers XI vs Hibernian
Writing for the Daily Record (1 November), McManus wrote: “I should have learned my lesson by now when it comes to sticking my neck out on social media. Not for the first time – and likely not for the last – I went big with an opinion on cyberspace … and promptly had it shoved straight back down my throat.
“Racing for my phone, I posted: ‘Surely give Hibs a massive lift when that team sheet came through the door of the home dressing room‘. By full-time, however, I was searching for a drawer to hide the handset as I waited for the backlash to die down.
“Fair play to Rangers, Danilo took his goal well, and they were fairly solid after that, even with so many of their bigger names starting on the bench.“
McManus might think twice about judging Rohl’s decisions in the future, but that is unlikely with an Old Firm clash against Celtic at Hampden Park on the horizon.
Rangers and Celtic are both facing pressure ahead of Scottish Cup semi-final
Dermot Desmond scythed down Brendan Rodgers following the manager’s exit last month, and the Hoops’ current situation might be just as dire as what the Gers are facing.
The biggest evidence that both Scottish giants are struggling is that Hearts are atop the league table, boasting 26 points after 10 matches. Of course, every other fan is backing a new title contender.
It feels as though reaching the Scottish Cup final will be a huge result for either club right now, but given Rohl’s earliness in his role, it could be a major stepping stone for the rest of his tenure already.
The boss has some huge decisions to make ahead of the game, having benched the likes of James Tavernier, Djeidi Gassama, and Mohamed Diomande last time out, but fans are excited again.