Rangers head coach Danny Rohl’s tactics have been questioned after Celtic came from behind at Ibrox

Danny Rohl’s tactics during Sunday’s Old Firm clash have been criticised by Motherwell midfielder and former Rangers man Andy Halliday, who claimed that the Gers boss got some things wrong at Ibrox and allowed Celtic back into the game.

Rangers were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to a Youssef Chermiti double including a stunning bicycle kick, but the Hoops came back to draw 2-2 and had a controversial late penalty to thank for deciding the outcome of the derby.

Halliday expressed what Rangers were missing on the pitch as their first-half dominance paled in the second period and their early lead was wiped out.

Andy Halliday on what Rangers ‘massively lacked’ against Celtic

Speaking on Keeping The Ball On The Ground for Open Goal podcast, Halliday said: “There were a couple of things. I don’t think you can be as direct when you don’t have the two strikers, so I do think you need to relieve a bit of the pressure.

“I thought Rangers massively lacked a Steven Davis, a Barry Ferguson, somebody who would take the sting out of the game and just put their foot on the ball and make a couple of passes.

“But again, see the amount of times Rangers went back to Jack Butland in the first half. The only thought was, right, we’re going to squeeze the game because he’s going to go long. But in the second half I kept looking at it, [Daizen] Maeda was pressing on his own, if the two centre-halves just drop ten yards and they play a pass. The rest of Celtic’s team is away [further down the pitch], and you’ve calmed it down already.”

Stating that he believes this was due to instruction by Rohl, Halliday continued: “I genuinely do think that Rangers have been quite direct under Danny Rohl, and you can’t criticise it because they have won so many games. But I thought, in the context of the game yesterday, that they had to try to get a wee bit of control back. They couldn’t just keep turning the ball over in the second half.

“Because Celtic have shown over the last six, seven, eight weeks, regardless of not being a great team and not playing particularly well, they’ve got a habit of making comebacks, they’ve got a habit of finding their way to get back into games, but I thought Rangers just played into it a wee bit by just constantly giving them the ball back.

“100% for me [they need to be better on the ball].”

On Rangers’ style of play ahead of next season

Asked if Rangers will play differently next season, Halliday continued: “I think that’s f*****g sh**e then, you play this way for six or seven months if that’s what you truly believe in, to then wait to the next season… I think you need to start integrating it at some point now.

“You’re a title challenger now, so if you want to play like you’re saying [less direct], if that’s his idea for Rangers moving forward, you need to try to integrate that now. If that’s how you see it getting the best out of your team. But I have no issue – if you’re going to be direct, set up to be direct, like they’ve done in the first half. Just commit everybody forward and try to land on second balls. But don’t then change it in the second half and have three bodies in the middle of the pitch, but don’t set up to be direct but still be direct.”