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Why Rangers are again facing mentality questions

by Luna
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Danny Rohl
*Penalty shootout defeat to Celtic in Scottish Cup quarter-final after 0-0 draw [BBC]

Rangers and mentality. No matter who is in the dugout, or on the pitch, it is the question that will not seem to go away.

And it is the question that will only increase in volume if Danny Rohl's side fail to end the campaign with silverware.

Following Sunday's Scottish Cup exit to Celtic, a quarter-final the Ibrox club totally dominated but did not win, their only hope of a trophy is now the Premiership.

Rohl was not shy in heaping pressure on himself last week, saying he has to end the campaign with silverware, despite taking over the team in a dire state.

If his side cannot make up a one-point deficit on their city rivals and a six-point margin on leaders Hearts, he will fail his own expectations.

The German said a month ago that he was heartened by a mindset shift in his players after a defeat at Tynecastle in December was followed by a run of seven wins and a draw in eight league matches.

Since then, Rangers have won one of their past four league games – a 4-2 victory against Hearts.

That form stretches to one win in five when you include Sunday's cup game. In fact, they have won just three of their past nine in all competitions.

In a goalless draw at Hibernian at the start of February, Rohl's side were blunt in attack, a problem that winter arrivals of Andreas Skov Olsen and Ryan Naderi were expected to troubleshoot.

Both have failed to hit the ground running, though, with the pair starting on Sunday as Rangers again lacked attacking imagination.

Rohl's defence has also started to leak goals, failing to keep a clean sheet in their past five league outings, conceding eight times in that spell.

With varying issues, including standing off the game when in a winning position – seen in their recent league draws against Motherwell and Celtic – it is difficult to pinpoint a precise problem.

However, fans have seen this film before and they will continue to ask questions about mentality in pressure moments unless there is a turnaround in a more favourable looking run of upcoming fixtures.

Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday on BBC Sportsound: “Rangers’ lack of quality in the final third was alarming throughout [on Sunday].

"For the amount of spell of pressure they had, [Viljami] Sinisalo didn't have really have any saves to make.

"Youssef Chermiti has a couple of big chances. The goal that gets disallowed. There's a couple bundled and scrambled about in the box.

"The lack of quality in the final third meant Rangers didn't deserve to go through."

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