Would Old Firm derby win be Rangers' 'trophy' this season?

Breaking news from the world of sport: Would Old Firm derby win be Rangers' 'trophy' this season? Image source, SNSImage caption, Danny Rohl has been scrutinised for his decisions in the last two gamesByThomas DuncanBBC Sport ScotlandPublished40 minutes agoFor those at Rangers, trophyless campaigns have become an all-too familiar occurence in the last decade. Of the nine full seasons since returning to the Scottish Premiership in 2016, six have ended without silverware.

After Monday's defeat by Heart of Midlothian virtually ended their title hopes, that will become seven campaigns from 10 without a trophy. Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday summed up the stakes for Danny Rohl and his side in Sunday's Old Firm derby at Celtic Park. "It's obviously not what they were looking for, but the fact of the matter is Rangers' trophy now is to make sure that Celtic don't win the league," he told the Scottish Football Podcast.

Match Details

Rangers' Rohl sure he'll remain to lead title push Published1 day agoHearts have league in sight - what next in title race? Published1 day agoRohl under pressure to respondHowever Rohl disagrees that Rangers' season is now about stopping Celtic winning the league, insisting they are playing for themselves and their supporters. Keeping their hopes alive of qualifying for the Champions League has to be the aim, though.

Defeat on Sunday would consign them to third place and no path to the riches of Europe's elite club competition. There is also a point to prove for Rohl and his chastened squad. After taking charge in October in the aftermath of Russell Martin's short and tumultuous reign, Rohl received plenty of praise for hauling Rangers into the race.

A 13-point gap to leaders Hearts came down to one before the split, but back-to-back defeats by Motherwell and the leaders have turned the tone of debate as Rangers slipped seven points behind with three games left. At 37 and in his second role as a head coach, Rohl's lack of experience has been highlighted in the last two games. Figure caption, Rohl focused on Rangers amid Germany rumoursNot starting Mikey Moore against Motherwell, despite arguably being Rangers' best player this season, and then being slow to adapt as Jens Berthel Askou's side raced into a 2-0 lead have been talked about.

Reactions and Expectations

At Tynecastle, Rangers dominated the first half but could not build on their advantage when Derek McInnes bolstered his midfield by bringing on Blair Spittal at the break. Hearts improved instantly and Rangers could find no response. Rohl gave an interesting diagnosis of the issue on Friday, citing a lack of movement from his players to get on the ball compared to the first 45 minutes.

"If you don't move an opponent who is man-marking, you will still not find the right solutions," the German said. "This is a part of what we have to do better to understand, even under the highest pressure, who is now the free man, how we can take him and how we can open up the spaces.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.