Rangers manager Danny Rohl has urged his players to ‘make a statement’ by securing back-to-back wins over Motherwell and Hearts this week to potentially go top of the Premiership table.
Rohl’s revitalised side cruised into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with an 8-0 drubbing of Queen’s Park at Ibrox which banished the memories of their shock home exit at the hands of the same opponents a year ago.
Rangers are now unbeaten in their last 10 domestic fixtures, nine of them wins, and have real momentum in their bid for a league and cup double under Rohl.
Currently three points off the pace in the title race, they could climb to the summit if they beat Motherwell at Fir Park on Wednesday night and current leaders Hearts at Ibrox next Sunday.
‘Today showed that at the moment our squad has confidence, individual players have more and more confidence,’ said Rohl.
‘But it’s all about the next game and we know now the next two games, this is a big, big challenge for us.
Rangers boss Danny Rohl says they can make a statement by winning their next two games
James Tavernier claimed the first hat-trick of his career in an 8-0 win over Queen’s Park
Queen’s Park head coach Sean Crighton was crestfallen after his team were thrashed at Ibrox
‘Yeah, it’s about three points and three points but of course when you look at the table, if you take three points in Motherwell, then you have a big chance on Sunday to be maybe top of the league and it would be a statement.
‘But even then you have no guarantee that you will stay at the end in this position, that’s the reason why we should take it game by game, focus on ourselves. I think that was also important today, look to ourselves, do our homework, win our games, and we will see at the end what we get.
‘Everyone is very hungry, when you look at the faces in the dressing room, they want to be part of it, they want to be ready.
‘I said this to my players today that 10 or 12 weeks ago, I’m not sure with how much confidence we would go in such a game but today you felt it from the first minute. As a team our body language is there, and now we go on with bravery and confidence, but we still know we have to work hard in the next two games.’
It was a landmark afternoon for Rangers captain James Tavernier who scored the first hat-trick of his professional career and also passed the 150-goal mark – 143 of them having come in the colours of the Ibrox club.
Rohl revealed that the 34-year-old right-back, who is out of contract at the end of the season, was not initially selected to play in the tie.
‘Max Aarons was going to start and the plan was to give Tav a rest but the doctor called me this morning to say Max wasn’t available,’ said Rohl.
‘He showed his quality, we know Tav is always helpful for the group. I think this is a legend, he is always available, he is very professional. I think we need him as a leader in the next few weeks. Tav is in shape, I can always trust him, and he helps the team again.
‘We are very clear with Tav, he knows our schedule and then we will come to a point where we make a decision (on his future).’
Queen’s Park head coach Sean Crighton was left crestfallen by his team’s performance.
‘This game was a bonus for us and I wanted the players to come and enjoy it,’ he said. ‘But we didn’t do the basics right all over the pitch and we were punished. It wasn’t good enough. We were miles off it.’
