- Rangers lose 3-2 to Motherwell after late deflection seals another damaging Premiership defeat.
- Danny Rohl insists title race is alive despite falling behind Hearts and Celtic.
- Result echoes 2024 collapse, when a similar defeat derailed Rangers’ Premiership push.
Rangers could have thrown away their title chances with a home defeat to Motherwell for the second time in three seasons.
Danny Rohl watched his Gers side fall to a 3-2 defeat against Jens Berthel Askou’s Steelmen earlier today.
Lukas Fadinger and Emmanuel Longelo netted twice for Motherwell in the first half.
This left Rangers with another mountain to climb after their comeback over Falkirk last time out.
Youssef Chermiti netted twice to restore parity.
Thelo Aasgaard and Mikey Moore then passed up huge opportunities to win it for the Gers near the end.
They would be punished in the final minute of regulation time.
Longelo would curl an effort towards Jack Butland’s goal, with the keeper looking to have it covered before a massive deflection from the head of Emmanuel Fernandez directed the ball into the net.
Rangers defeat, and weekend wins for Celtic and leaders Hearts, now means that Rohl’s men sit third, four points behind the Jambos with four to go.
This means the title is no longer in their own hands, even with a trip to Tynecastle up next.
The German head coach however, refused to give up on Rangers’ title dreams.
“The most important thing is that it’s not over. It’s really not over,” he said defiantly.
“I saw the picture from our fans at Falkirk, the flag saying ‘Keep Believing’.
“This is the right time to lift this slogan with emotion. Really, we will keep believing. Otherwise, it’s difficult.
“We have four more finals, four games to go and it’s our job.”
Danny Rohl defiant but history repeats itself
The result today sparked memories of March 2024.
Phillipe Clement’s Rangers side went into that match on an 11-match winning streak.
They also went into the match top of the league, but goals from Theo Bair and Dan Casey made a James Tavernier penalty nothing more than a footnote.
Celtic would win the following day and retake the top spot by a single point.
They would not lose it, with Rangers only able to draw 3-3 with Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops weeks later.
Following that match Clement was, like Rohl, unwilling to give up the Premiership ghost.
It was one of those days. We had a disappointing evening because luck was not on our side,” he said at the time.
“We have to move on and hope the luck is on our side next time.”
The luck would never truly be on the Belgian’s side again.
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Rohl will need to do something no manager before him has been able to do.
Turn the title race around in the final stretch of matches.
Rangers may well look back on this as the day their title hopes slipped from their grasp once again.
Rohl insists belief remains. History, however, offers a stark warning.
This has the feel of March 2024 all over again, when a shock defeat to a sturdy Well side derailed a title charge, handing momentum to Celtic at a decisive moment.
Rangers never recovered then.
Now, Rohl faces the same equation with even less room for error and with a third team in the hunt for the trophy.
If this is not the moment the title was lost, it may yet prove to be the one where control of it quietly slipped away.
