Since Danny Röhl walked through the doors at Ibrox, Rangers have played 15 matches against Scotland’s biggest domestic opponents.
They have won six.
That’s the reality facing Rangers ahead of Sunday’s trip to Celtic Park. Not opinion. Not agenda. Just numbers.
Six wins in 15 matches against the teams that define seasons.
And for a club that measures success in trophies and Old Firm victories, that simply is not good enough.
The Bigger Problem: Rangers Still Have No Identity
The concern goes beyond results.
With only a few games left in the season, Rangers still look like a team searching for an identity. One week it’s a 4-3-3. The next it’s a back three. Then a 4-2-3-1. Then a narrow system with two attacking midfielders.
Nothing has stuck.
That inconsistency shows up most clearly in the biggest matches. Rangers often start games well — aggressive pressing, quick combinations, high energy — but once opponents adjust, the structure disappears.
The midfield becomes stretched. The press loses coordination. The defensive line drops deeper. Momentum shifts, and Rangers struggle to regain control.
It has become a recurring pattern.
The “Two Halves” Problem
If you’ve watched Rangers this season, you’ve seen the same story play out repeatedly.
First half: Rangers look like title contenders.
Second half: the control disappears.
Against Celtic at New Year, Rangers led 2-0 before the break. Celtic responded in the second half and escaped with a draw.
Against Hearts, Rangers controlled large periods early before Hearts adjusted shape and turned the game around.
Against Motherwell at Ibrox, Rangers never looked secure defensively and collapsed late in a match they simply could not afford to lose.
Great teams manage momentum swings. Rangers haven’t.
And that points to something deeper than tactics. It points to mentality.
The Big-Game Record
The statistics paint a worrying picture.
Against Celtic
Three league meetings. No wins.
One defeat. Two draws. And one cup exit on penalties after Rangers failed to finish the job.
For a Rangers manager, results against Celtic define everything. Right now, Röhl has not delivered one statement victory in the fixture that matters most.
Kilmarnock Problems
Twice this season, Derek McInnes and Kilmarnock outworked and outplayed Rangers.
Two defeats against a side operating on a fraction of Rangers’ budget.
That is difficult to ignore.
Points Dropped Against Hibs and Falkirk
There were also damaging dropped points against Hibs.
Then came Falkirk at Ibrox — a newly promoted side leaving Glasgow with a result Rangers should never have allowed.
Individually, these results may look survivable.
Together, they reveal a pattern.
The Motherwell Collapse
The defeat to Motherwell may have been the moment the title race truly disappeared.
Rangers entered the match still within touching distance at the top of the table.
They left Ibrox beaten 3-2 by a mid-table side after another chaotic defensive performance.
Not with a dramatic collapse at Parkhead.
Not in a title decider.
At home against Motherwell.
That was the day belief disappeared.
What Happens Sunday?
Now comes another trip to Celtic Park.
No trophy on the line for Rangers.
But plenty at stake for Röhl.
A win changes the mood instantly. It gives supporters something tangible to hold onto heading into next season. It shows growth. Progress. Character.
A defeat raises the same questions all over again.
Can this Rangers side handle pressure?
Can they manage big moments?
And most importantly — does this team actually know what it wants to be?
The Bottom Line
Six wins from 15 matches against Scotland’s strongest domestic opponents.
No wins against Celtic.
Two defeats to Kilmarnock.
Dropped points against Hibs and Falkirk.
A damaging home collapse against Motherwell.
The numbers alone do not decide whether a manager succeeds or fails.
But they do tell a story.
Right now, the story is that Rangers remain inconsistent, reactive, and unfinished under Danny Röhl.
Sunday at Celtic Park is another opportunity to prove otherwise.
