Rangers FC manager Danny Röhl has downplayed the on-field confrontation between Emmanuel Fernandez and Tochi Chukwuani during their thrilling 6-3 win against Falkirk.
He interpreted it as an indication of increasing leadership within the team.
Fernandez confronted his teammate Tochi Chukwuani regarding his involvement in the first two goals conceded, but Chukwuani responded by scoring just before the half-time break.
Despite the intense exchange, Röhl maintained that the incident represented a positive evolution in team mentality rather than a reason for alarm.
“We were candid with one another at half-time,” Röhl stated during his post-match press conference, as reported by the Daily Record. “I particularly appreciated that the players were also forthright with each other, which is beneficial.”
He disclosed that the atmosphere in the dressing room at the interval was already charged, enabling him to concentrate more on tactical modifications than on emotional interventions.
“I was able to provide them with some instructions and solutions. And in the second half, it was one direction,” he remarked.
“It wasn’t necessary for me to inject too much emotion at half-time because the players themselves were already emotional.
“They communicated with one another. That indicates we are evolving as a group and that we have leaders in crucial moments.”
Röhl elaborated that his primary role during the break was to bolster confidence and refine the team’s strategy, especially their pressing framework.
“It was more crucial to instill my trust in them and help them believe in our approach. The other aspect was about what we needed to modify. We adjusted our pressing slightly. We had allowed the opponent too many long balls behind our defense. It was improved in the second half.
“We were more eager and proactive, which is advantageous. When I arrived, it was rather subdued. I recall after the match in Bergen, I attempted to initiate a dialogue with the players, but I ended up speaking more than they did. Now, at last, we are progressing. That is normal; it reflects the culture we aspire to establish.”
Both players played important roles in Rangers’ comeback win.