Rangers ‘have to’ lift silverware – Rohl

Rangers head coach Danny Rohl insists his side “have to” lift silverware this season and will be doing everything they can to keep the 7,500 Celtic fans inside Ibrox quiet come Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final.

It will be the largest visiting support at Ibrox for eight years.

After successive draws against bottom side Livingston and Celtic, Rangers are now six points behind Premiership leaders Hearts heading into the final nine games of the league campaign.

But Rohl insists silverware, in some form, is still very much on his agenda.

“As a Rangers manager you have to,” the German said when asked if he feels he has to win a trophy this term.

When Rohl arrived at Ibrox to replace Russell Martin earlier this term, Rangers were 13 points adrift of the top but are now very much in the race.

He insists that gap cannot be used as an excuse if they do not win the league this season and feels the results in their last two games have not reflected the performance.

“I take it also not as an excuse that we come from 13 points behind,” he said.

“This is part of the job. I think we noticed the last two results, two draws [against Livingston and Celtic], was for me unnecessary when I compare the results with the performance.

“And we have a great opportunity on Sunday to make a good step towards the first trophy.”

Celtic supporters will take up the entire Broomloan Stand for the first time since March 2018 as Martin O’Neill’s side travel to Govan for the second time in the space of a week.

The visitors came from two goals down last weekend to snatch a dramatic point and, thanks to their win at Pittodrie on Wednesday night, leapfrog Rangers into second in the Premiership table.

While Rohl admits there was a nervousness during the second half that maybe contributed to Celtic’s comeback last week, he believes if they can start how they did last week then the busy away end won’t have a big bearing on the performance.

“Of course it will have an impact,” he said. “But if we play 50 minutes like we did [last week] then the 7,500 will stay quiet.

“We can influence and impact on our performance on the pitch. The atmosphere was incredible for 50 minutes [last week], really incredible. It was amazing to feel this.

“They pushed our players forward, then it goes to 2-1 and you feel it in the stadium as well. But this is also part of the game.

“That 50 minutes was really, really outstanding. I really enjoyed being on the touchline in such a game.”