- Barry Bannan previously revealed Danny Rohl adapted tactics at Sheffield Wednesday to suit inherited squad.
- Rohl only fully implemented his preferred style after a full pre-season in Yorkshire.
- Rangers already showing tactical similarities as summer rebuild and recruitment plans take shape.
Danny Rohl’s position at Rangers has come under growing scrutiny after three successive defeats effectively collapsed the club’s title challenge.
The German has faced criticism from supporters over tactical inconsistency, recurring defensive issues and a perceived lack of identity in recent weeks.
He has also been linked with a return to Germany, with two Bundesliga clubs linked with a move for the Ibrox coach.
Barry Bannan on Danny Rohl second season success
But comments made earlier this season by former Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan may offer important context to what Rangers are currently experiencing under Rohl at Ibrox.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast shortly before Rohl’s appointment in Glasgow, the outspoken Celtic supporter detailed how the German coach initially adapted his entire tactical approach at Wednesday simply to survive with the squad he inherited.
“Danny Rohl came in, obviously assessed the squad,” Bannan explained.
“He never wanted to play long ball, but he’d seen the squad that we had, assessed it and we kind of went direct, high pressing after the ball and the results picked up instantly.
“But that wasn’t his way of playing.
“He just seen that as the best way to survive with that group of guys in front of him.”
That assessment feels increasingly relevant when analysing Rangers this season.
Rangers are still not fully a Danny Rohl team
Rohl inherited a fractured Rangers squad assembled across several different recruitment strategies and managerial eras.
One devoid of any confidence after the short tenure of Russell Martin.
While January additions improved certain areas, many structural weaknesses remain, particularly in build-up play, leadership and defensive transitions.
Those issues have often forced Rangers into a more direct style than many supporters expected from a coach previously praised for positional football and controlled possession structures.
As highlighted earlier this year in an analysis of Rohl’s tactical setup, Rangers have frequently bypassed midfield areas with longer passes toward forwards rather than consistently building through structured rotations.
At Wednesday, Rohl’s preferred system relied heavily on calm construction from the back, aggressive full-back positioning and midfielders comfortable receiving possession under pressure.
Rangers have only shown flashes of that setup.
Barry Bannan’s second-year point may prove crucial
The key part of Bannan’s assessment focused on what happened after Rohl received a full pre-season at Wednesday.
“The second season with Danny, when he had a full pre-season, it was all about playing out from the back, high press,” said the current Millwall midfielder.
“That worked as well because he had a full pre-season.
“That was the way he wants his teams to play.”
That comment is important.
Rohl has repeatedly stressed in recent weeks that Rangers require major changes this summer, particularly in leadership and tactical profiles.
“We need new leaders,” he said this week.
“We need different profiles.”
The German also admitted recent defeats have clarified recruitment decisions internally.
With James Tavernier departing, uncertainty surrounding several senior players and further signings expected, Rangers appear set for a major tactical reset during pre-season.
Goalkeeper situation could become central
One of the clearest tactical limitations in Rohl’s current Rangers side has been build-up play from deep.
Jack Butland has often opted to go long rather than play through pressure consistently.
This is something that differs significantly from how Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday side operated during Bannan’s second-year description.
That may explain growing links with Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who has been repeatedly connected with a reunion at Ibrox this summer.
Charles is viewed as a goalkeeper far more comfortable in possession and capable of operating within a structured build-up system.
If Rangers move for the Northern Ireland international, it will represent another sign that Rohl is attempting to shape the squad closer to the tactical identity Bannan described from his time in Yorkshire.
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The reality for Rangers is that patience rarely exists comfortably alongside expectation.
Finishing third and collapsing late in the title race has intensified scrutiny around Rohl, regardless of long-term planning.
But Bannan’s comments underline an important point.
This current Rangers side may still only represent a transitional version of what Rohl actually wants.
At the Owls, his ideas only fully emerged after time, recruitment and a complete pre-season programme.
The question now is whether Rangers, both in the boardroom and the stands, are prepared to allow that same process to unfold at Ibrox.
