What awaits new Rangers manager Rohl?

Two weeks since Russell Martin was dismissed by Rangers, and the club's supporters must feel like it has been the longest fortnight of their lives.

Way back on 5 October, Martin was relieved of the ever-growing weight on his shoulders that was the head coach's job, his tenure ending with the sight of him being secretly escorted out of the Falkirk Stadium after another slip-up.

This image, and that of the team bus being barricaded in, will feel like a lifetime ago to some of the club's support.

Since, they've had the clamour for Steven Gerrard's return reach a deafening crescendo, only to be then hushed with the former title-winning boss turning the club down.

Ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has now taken on the job, after initially withdrawing, and the club seeking to appoint Kevin Muscat inbetween.

And on Sunday we had the latest twist in this saga as a deal to offer Kevin Muscat the role collapsed after advanced talks.

But what awaits the new man to ascend the marble staircase at Ibrox?

What is the reality right now for Rangers?

If Rangers fans thought things would immediately perk up after Martin's exit, then they were sorely mistaken.

On the pitch, interim boss Steven Smith presided over a 2-2 home draw with Dundee United.

The team rose to sixth in the Scottish Premiership table, but are now 13 points off leaders Hearts.

Things aren't going to get any easier for the Glasgow side, either with a daunting run of fixtures.

First up they are away to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday, home to Kilmarnock, away to Hibs, at Hampden for a Premiers Sports Cup semi-final with Celtic, before then hosting Roma.

What do they need right now?

The main word that springs to mind is stability.

In May 2022, Giovanni van Bronckhorst consoled his players in the sweltering heat of Seville as Rangers lost the Europa League final on penalties. It was a mesmeric and heroic run with a sting in the tail, but a Scottish Cup win was to follow just days later to soothe the pain.

Six months on to the day, the Dutchman was axed and the Rangers managerial merry-go-round began.

Since then, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson and Martin have all been in charge across a period of just over three years, with only a League Cup win to show for it.

"They'll be looking for a bit of help probably, guidance, just to get them a bit of stability," said former Rangers striker Billy Dodds, who was part of the coaching team last season under Ferguson, last week.

"There's things that can help. I've been in there, we gathered it when we went in right away, got it feeling vibrant again, got it feeling happy, and then you get to the football as well.

"There's a lot of things that can be done to help right away, but long-term, they need somebody who's a leader, good at galvanising people, and then make sure that the guy they put in there is going to demand strong values and send out the right message that this club now is on the right path."

Since Martin's back-door exit at the Falkirk Stadium, it's been under-19s coach Smith, B Team coach Brian Gilmour, performance coach Rhys Owen and goalkeeper coach Sal Bibbo holding the fort.

Rangers do have experience in the dressing room. Jack Butland, John Souttar, Kieran Dowell and captain James Tavernier make up the squad's senior leadership team.

Dodds, though, believes a strong figurehead is needed in quickly.

"He (Tavernier) can only do so much so," he said. "Tav's not a really outspoken guy, he's a quiet lad, does his talking on the pitch.

"There's a group, the leadership core in there, but I wouldn't say that it's the old-school leaders where they'll get all the team together and make a speech, it's not like that.

"I think it'll be collective as a unit, they'll be probably saying to one another 'we need it sorted, we need it sorted pretty quickly'.

"There's no real standout leader, even though there's the captain, the vice-captain, there's a leadership group. I think the boys have got to get together, but they can only do so much.

"I think it's up to the club's hierarchy to get the managerial situation sorted out and maybe get a strong figure in there that's a leader."

Is it a quick fix?

Looking at the core group, it's undeniable that they are capable of more than what has been offered up this season.

Martin's tactics have been broken down and dissected, and in far too many games Rangers appeared passive from back to front. Add in a porous defence and you're in trouble.

However, the spine of a team is there. Nicolas Raskin has pledged his commitment to getting Rangers back on their feet again after falling out with Martin, while new signing Bojan Miovski, who knows the league well, offers a threat in attack.

With Rohl now in the door, though, patience is something the supporters won't have much of. Since Gerrard, Clement is the longest serving boss at one year and 131 days.

With such a horrendous start to the campaign, small wins will be needed quickly to reassure fans that the tanker is turning.

"There's definitely confidence right away [that needs improved]," said Dodds.

"I think defensively they need to be more sound, but that's been a problem for a wee while. The new manager is going to have to work at that.

"There's a strong midfield there, there's a strong midfield base, even when we were there, and then they've added up front as well, so there's something to work with.

"There's things needing changed, but collectively you can see the confidence is seeping out of them

"They need a bit of help, a bit of guidance, and a bit of stability."