Danny Rohl feels Martin O’Neill comments have fired up Rangers players

O'Neill, who was installed as Celtic interim manager on Monday night, stated that Rangers are “are no threat whatsoever".

Martin O'Neill and Shaun Maloney will take interim charge of Celtic following Brendan Rodgers' departure. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

Danny Rohl insists there is belief in the Rangers camp after returning Celtic boss Martin O’Neill claimed the Ibrox outfit were out of the Scottish Premiership title race.

The Northern Irishman, who managed the Hoops with great success between 2000 and 2005, was sensationally installed as interim Celtic boss on Monday night after Brendan Rodgers resigned in the wake of a 3-1 defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle which left them eight points adrift of the league-leading Jambos.

However O’Neill, in his role as a talkSPORT pundit, declared that Rangers, who are five points behind Celtic following their 3-1 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday “are no threat whatsoever, although the new manager (Rohl), I think he can maybe do something in time. But they are so far adrift, it’s untrue.” 

Ahead of the trip to Hibernian on Wednesday night, 36-year-old Rohl, who took over from the sacked Russell Martin at the start of last week and began with a 3-0 Europa league defeat by Brann in Norway last Thursday night, was informed of his new rival’s remarks and said: “I must say this morning, I sat here and looked to the faces of my players and I see there’s a big, big belief now.

“I think they feel it on the pitch.

“I have the feeling they believe at the moment in what we are doing, in the last days.

“Of course, after the big defeat, then we got a good reaction.

“I think this is also important for players and for us to see, after a setback, that you can come back.

“There was another setback during the game when it was 1-1 and you come through, and then you fully deserved the game.” 

Rohl was pleased to see Youssef Chermiti, the much-maligned 21-year-old striker who reportedly cost £8.5million when he joined from Everton in the summer, get his first Rangers goal when he beat Kilmarnock’s Eddie Beach from distance, albeit the goalkeeper did not look too clever in his attempt to save.

However, Rangers fans noted that Chermiti appeared to make a talking gesture with his hand in celebration, an indication perhaps that he was silencing the sceptics.

Rohl said: “I think a celebration after a goal is always important.

“I think you have to understand how you celebrate sometimes.

“I said this when I arrived, it’s not just about improving players on the pitch, also off the pitch.

“But we spoke about this and I think he knows what to do the next time, a bit emotional, but not more, For me, it was more important that he scored.”