Danny Rohl’s sobering debut as Rangers head coach ended with him apologising to travelling Gers fans following their 3-0 Europa League defeat by Brann in Bergen.
The 36-year-old German was installed as Russell Martin’s successor on Monday but there was no quick fix to the Gers problems and the task ahead unfolded in Norway as the Light Blues, having lost their opening two league phase fixtures, continued their poor form this season.
Emil Kornvig opened the scoring five minutes before the break to give Freyr Alexandersson’s side a deserved interval lead before Jacob Sorensen added a second after 55 minutes, with Noah Holm firing in a third in the 79th minute, and Rangers now sit pointless as they prepare for the visit of Kilmarnock in the William Hill Premiership on Sunday.
Rohl went over to the Light Blues fans after the game and he said: “At first I apologised for this defeat and this performance.
“They travel a lot for the team, they are always there.
“This club has a lot of patient fans and they deserve this and it is also very important to show that I understand them.
“But I said as well, I will work very hard to improve this group of players to step up and get results.”
Captain James Tavernier did not hold back in his scathing assessment of the performance and Rangers’ start to the season in which they have won just five out of 19 games in all competitions and sit in sixth place in the table.
The 33-year-old full-back, who signed for Rangers in 2015, said: “It’s just a disgraceful performance, it’s as simple as that.
“All the years I have been here, for the consistency of poor performances we are putting in, I haven’t experienced it before.
“It’s an honour to come and play for this club, you want to make a history playing for this club and that’s nowhere near the requirements that were shown tonight.
“The manager’s came in and with a couple of days on the training pitch you only can give certain instructions, but ourselves. we have to put that on the pitch.”
