Rangers players 'smile again' as Rohl takes charge

Europa League: Brann v Rangers

Venue: Brann Stadion, Bergen Date: Thursday, 23 October Time: 17:45 BST

Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland FM & Sounds, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app

Danny Rohl says it's good to "see a smile again" on Rangers players' faces.

After being confirmed in the Ibrox head coach role on Monday, the German has had limited time to work with his squad before taking charge against Brann on Thursday.

But Rohl revealed the players' mood gives him a "good belief that they are on the right way" before the Europa League match in Norway.

"They've had some really difficult moments this season," said Rohl.

"We have to turn the negative energy and the disappointments into positive energy and this is our mindset.

"It's not normal that you start straight with a European game in a new club, but I'm really looking forward to this."

Under-19s coach Stevie Smith oversaw Rangers' weekend Scottish Premiership draw as the Ibrox side moved on to nine points from eight games.

Rangers' opening defeats by Genk and Sturm Graz heightened pressure on Rohl's predecessor Russell Martin before the former Scotland player was sacked earlier this month.

Rohl was Bayern Munich assistant when they won the Champions League, and he says he will take the experience from that into his new role at Rangers.

"I met all the players and when I speak with the players I see a smile again on their face and I think it gives me a good belief that we are on the right way," he explained. "This is very important.

"The last two training sessions went very well. The team is listening. We have a clear idea, we have a clear match plan. It's about the right attitude to come to such a place."

And he added of his time with Bayern: "It was amazing, I learned a lot in this time about the mindset and I think this is exactly what we need in our club.

"The players can play football but they are really soon ready to invest in parts of the game, in pressing and hunting.

"This is very important because we have also great players, we have individual quality here, but if you understand that it's not just about the quality and think it's enough to win games then we make a huge step forward.

"We have to start to win games. When I work with different players, even if it's big, big players, they need to believe.

"I'm convinced if you have a clear direction of how you want to play and you create good moments into the game then your self-confidence is going up and up and it means then some moments in football go easier. But we know it's about hard working, it's not just talking."

Team news

Rohl hinted at changes to the starting XI.

"After two days you have to take the impression from the video, you have to take the impression from the training session, you need a bit more time to know all the details," he explained.

"This is also important for me as a coach because I like to make adjustments during the game and then it's important to understand which players you can bring in which situation."

What they said

Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard: "We do our analysis on every team and the new manager's gone through their principles, how they want to build pu, how they want to attack our goal.

"He wants us to play with big intensity on and off the ball. I've got full belief in the lads that we'll adapt."

Match stats

• Rangers are on a run of three games without a win, drawing the past two, and sit sixth in the Scottish Premiership, 13 points adrift of leaders Heart of Midlothian.

• Brann have won three of their past four outings and only lost two out of their latest 11.

• Brann have won five home games in a row and sit third in the Norwegian top flight, seven points behind leaders Viking but with a game in hand.

• Brann beat St Mirren in their only previous meetings with a Scottish side, drawing 1-1 in Paisley before a 3-1 home win in the 2024-25 Conference League qualifying phase.

• Rangers have yet to lose, or concede a goal, in four meetings with Norwegian sides, their most recent being a 2-0 win over Molde in the Uefa Cup in September 2006.

• Brann have won five of their past seven home European matches (including qualifiers, losing the other two), winning 1-0 against Utrecht on their last outing - their first home major European match for 17 years.

• Including qualifiers, Rangers have lost each of their past five European matches, conceding 14 goals, their worst run being six between September and November 2022 in the Champions League.

• Rangers winger Djeidi Gassama has scored their only goal in the Europa League this season and has also made 21 ball carries ending in the opposition penalty area, five more than any other player.