Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Rangers boss Danny Rohl is determined to make his mark after being handed the opportunity to turn the Gers' season around and should ditch Nasser Djiga from the preferred starting line-up at Ibrox if he wants to make his side more solid at the back. The Glasgow giants have started the campaign in woeful fashion, resulting in them sitting 13 points adrift of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts after also failing to make it beyond the Champions League qualification phase, leading to the hierarchy deciding to make an alteration in the dugout in a desperate attempt to save their season. Rohl has been handed a two-and-a-half-year contract, with the initial remit being to pick up positive results and get Rangers into a position where they can add to their trophy cabinet, and he needs to be ruthless when assessing current members of the squad if he wants to enjoy a memorable spell at the helm. Rohl Should Show His Ruthless Edge and Ditch Djiga One of the first big calls Rohl needs to make is to permanently axe Djiga as his loan spell from Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers has not gone to plan and he has struggled to win over the Rangers fanbase thanks to his faltering performances in the early stages of his Ibrox career. Signed by former head coach Russell Martin, there was hope that the 22-year-old central defender would make the Gers difficult to break down and build a strong partnership alongside John Souttar. But he has been guilty of making a number of high-profile mistakes and needs to be removed from the firing line. Djiga's display in Rangers' Champions League play-off second leg mauling at the hands of Club Brugge was particularly eye-catching, but for all the wrong reasons. He was at fault when Nicolo Tresoldi ghosted in to grab the opener for the Belgian side, opening the floodgates, and went on to be handed an embarrassing 1/10 match rating after he was continuously beaten in the air. Although the Burkina Faso international - who is pocketing £15,000-per-week during his temporary spell with the Gers - was a regular starter under Martin's failed stewardship, interim head coach Steven Smith dropped him to the bench for the stalemate with Dundee United last weekend. That was the right call and, having assumed responsibility as Rangers look to enjoy a significant upturn in form, Rohl should follow suit. Djiga's performances have not been at the level expected when he was tempted away from the Premier League and he has turned out to be more of a dud than an inspired piece of business. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Nasser Djiga won six duels during Rangers' Scottish Premiership draw with Falkirk earlier this month Cornelius Has to be Ahead of Djiga in Pecking Order Derek Cornelius was deployed at the heart of Rangers' backline during their draw with Dundee United and, having started both of the Europa League defeats to Genk and Sturm Graz, the Canada international is expected keep his starting berth at Djiga's expense when they face Brann on Thursday. Although the Gers have failed to keep a clean sheet on each of the occasions that the 27-year-old has featured since his arrival from Marseille, the backline has been easily breached throughout the campaign and Rohl would be better off sticking with him in hope of him growing in confidence in the coming weeks. Djiga is not the only member of the Rangers squad who has struggled to match demands since embarking on a fresh challenge in the summer as Joe Rothwell has also been having a difficult time trying to make his mark. Rohl should also not consider having him in the forefront of his plans.
