Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has enjoyed a perfect start to life in the Scottish Premiership, with three wins in his first three matches in charge.
The Light Blues had only won one of their first eight games in the division under Russell Martin and Stevie Smith, which is why the German manager’s fast start is particularly impressive.
Rohl has already showcased his pragmatism and adaptability with formation changes through all three matches, playing variations of a 3-4-2-1, a 3-4-3, and a 4-2-3-1.
The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will surely have been pleased with his side’s performance in their last game before the international break, as they won 3-0 against Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday.
Rangers head into the international break on a high, possibly for the first time this season, and they will be looking to continue their strong form against Livingston at Ibrox next week.
The German manager’s arrival at Ibrox has been a breath of fresh air in recent weeks, and it is clear to see that several players have benefitted from his appointment.
The Rangers players who have benefitted most from Danny Rohl's appointment
One of the players who has benefitted the most from Rohl joining the club is Brazilian forward, Danilo, who had fallen out of favour under the previous management team.
The Brazilian striker played one game, against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, between August and Martin’s exit last month, yet has featured in all six of the games under Rohl.
Danilo has scored two goals in three Premiership matches under the German head coach, which shows that he is thriving in the new system and is trusted by the manager.
Possibly the most obvious player to benefit from the change in management is Nicolas Raskin, who was dropped from the squad for several games during Martin’s tenure. The midfielder even said that his future at Ibrox depended on the “coach” during the September international break.
The Belgium international has featured in every match under Rohl so far and scored his first goal in the Premiership so far this season with a header against Dundee.
Minutes
90
Goals
1
Key passes
2
Pass accuracy
93%
Dribble success rate
100%
Tackle success rate
100%
Ground duels won
7/12
Interceptions
2
Dribbled past
0x
As you can see in the table above, Raskin put in a brilliant all-round performance at Dens Park, as he showcased his qualities in and out of possession in the middle of the park.
The Belgian star’s quality on the ball was on full display, whilst he was also impressive physically out of possession as a defensive force, which is why he is such a key player for the Gers when at his best.
It is fair to say that Danilo and Raskin are two of the players who have benefitted the most from the change in manager and change in style of play, given their respective situations under Martin and how important they have been to Rohl in his first six matches in the dugout.
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However, there is still time for the German boss to assess the squad and the upcoming international break will be his first chance to take some time and look deeper into the team and the academy, to see what he has to work with for the rest of the campaign.
With this in mind, the former Sheffield Wednesday tactician should look to reward Clinton Nsiala with a chance to impress after the break, after the central defender did not get a look-in under Martin.
How Danny Rohl can unearth his own Virgil van Dijk for Rangers
Rangers swooped to sign the French centre-back from AC Milan in the summer of 2024 after his contract at the San Siro came to an end, and he was given some opportunities by Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson.
The left-footed star played 13 times in all competitions for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign, along with four appearances in the Trust Trophy for the B team, per Transfermarkt.
Nsiala also scored the first senior goal of his career against Fraserburgh in the SFA Cup at the start of the year, which was his only goal in those 13 appearances last term.
Unfortunately, though, the central defender has not played a single minute of football in the 2025/26 campaign, as Martin decided to leave him out of the squad for all of his matches in charge, per Transfermarkt.
Nsiala was in first-team training ahead of Rohl’s first game against Brann, though, which suggests that he is still around the group and available to be considered for selection.
Last season, Rangers winger Ross McCausland, who left on loan this summer, described the French colossus as a “a left-footed Van Dijk”, which was considerable praise, as the former Celtic centre-back has won the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool, the club he now captains.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Nsiala played 11 times in the Premiership for the Light Blues and helped the team to enjoy a fairly impressive run of form in those matches.
Dundee
1-1 draw
St Johnstone
3-1 win
Aberdeen
3-0 win
Dundee United
3-1 win
Ross County
4-0 win
Hearts
3-1 win
St Mirren
2-0 loss
Kilmarnock
4-2 win
Celtic
3-2 win
Aberdeen
2-2 draw
St Mirren
2-2 draw
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent has only lost one of his 11 appearances in the Premiership to date, winning seven, whilst the Gers only won one of the seven league games they played under Martin before his exit last month.
That is not to say that all of those results were down to Nsiala’s performances, of course, but it does show that he can be a key part of a team that wins week-in-week-out in the league, as he started ten of those 11 games.
The French star, who won 52% of his aerial duels in his 11 league outings (Sofascore), is a young player who has shown potential in a Rangers shirt, which is why Rohl should consider unleashing him as his own left-footed van Dijk.
Nsiala could come in as an alternative to Derek Cornelius, who came off on Sunday with a knock, as a natural left-sided centre-back. Nasser Djiga and John Souttar are both right-footed defenders who are better suited on their natural side, which is why it could make sense to bring the ex-Milan ace in if Cornelius misses any matches through injury.
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The left-footed brute was forgotten about by Martin, given his complete lack of minutes, but Rohl still has the chance to bring him into the fold after the international break.