Rangers manager praises player spirit despite defeat
Danny Rohl refused to criticise referee Nick Walsh after Rangers’ dramatic 3–1 extra-time defeat to Celtic in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, choosing instead to praise the spirit and progress of his players despite the disappointment of elimination, reports BritPanorama.
The Ibrox manager watched his side battle valiantly for over an hour with ten men following the first-half dismissal of Thelo Aasgaard. The midfielder was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Anthony Ralston, a decision that infuriated Rangers supporters inside Hampden Park.
Further anger spread through the stands moments later when Celtic’s Auston Trusty escaped sanction for what appeared to be a head injury inflicted on goalkeeper Jack Butland while challenging for the ball. There were even grievances for Celtic when Ralston, already booked, conceded a penalty after handling a shot from Djedi Gassama, allowing James Tavernier to level the tie from the spot.
Despite the mounting controversy, Rohl declined to join the chorus of criticism aimed at the officials. “I haven’t watched the red card back yet but that’s the referee’s decision,” he said afterwards. “It’s not my part to speak about this. My focus is always on myself. I said before the game I won’t speak about other managers, other teams or refs.”
On the penalty incident, Rohl acknowledged the complexity of the handball laws but refrained from direct criticism. “I think there’s a rule. If it’s a handball, a block and a penalty, it could be a yellow card. But there are so many rules about handball in the box and I don’t know everything,” he admitted, noting that his team’s resilience was commendable.
Rohl also addressed the Trusty challenge that left Butland briefly dazed but maintained his focus on his players rather than officiating decisions. “We can speak about all the single individual decisions during the game,” he stated. “But that’s not my part. I won’t speak about this. Consistency is the next step for us.”
Despite the defeat, Rohl took encouragement from his team’s display, highlighting their resilience and attacking intent even when a man down. “After 90 minutes, I really felt we could win this game even with ten men,” he said. “Our supporters were there for us and created a great atmosphere. I’ve said there will be a few setbacks on our journey. This wasn’t a nice defeat but I saw a huge step forward from a team who didn’t care if they had 11 or ten men. They believed in what they were doing.”
Although the scoreline ended 3–1 and Rangers’ cup hopes were dashed, Rohl remains optimistic. “There’s disappointment in the dressing room, and that’s a good signal,” he stated. “We’ll take the positives, improve the details, and carry on in this direction. If we keep progressing like this, there will be a lot of wins in the future.”
