Rohl on Tavernier exit, title race & transfer talks
· Yahoo Sports
Rangers boss Danny Rohl has been speaking to the media before his side host Motherwell on Saturday.
Here are the key lines:
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- Rohl says it will be a "beautiful moment" and the "biggest goodbye" should outgoing skipper James Tavernier lead the club to the title in his final season.
- He says Tavernier made the final decision on his future and although there's never "good timing" for such announcements, it's good to get "clarity".
- Asked if he would have like Tavernier to stay, Rohl replies: "This is not a topic for today."
- The German adds on Tavernier: "Since I've been here he was a good captain for us, he leads the group on and off the pitch. He is a legend of the club and made an amazing career here. He spoke to the group and I think the most important thing is now we have 21 days to go, five games, focus on these five games and then he will have an incredible goodbye, what he deserved."
- Tuur Rommens and Ryan Naderi - who is back "sooner than expected" - are set to be fit in time to play some part in the title run-in. Rohl says: "For the weekend they are not available, but it looks very positive for the four games after."
- Rohl describes Rangers' warm-weather training camp in Spain last week as "a good mix between hard working on the pitch, a good togetherness off the pitch" and reveals some fans who were there joined the squad for dinner.
- He had productive transfer talks with the Rangers hierarchy: "We have a great conversation. I think it was really great spirit in this camp. We had a daily meeting every day with the board... we are very clear what we want."
- Rohl reveals he was approached in the park yesterday by a Rangers fan, a season-ticket holder for 40 years, who told him winning the title would be "amazing because nobody from us thought we had a chance this season".
- Rangers have to be "careful" against Motherwell, who Rohl says have deserved better recent results amid a five-game winless run and "always create chances" as they play with "calmness and bravery".
- On Celtic captain Callum McGregor's claim the Parkhead side have the edge in the title race despite sitting third, Rohl says: "The most important thing is that we have the belief, we have the confidence that we can win games."
- He stressed Rangers will "keep believing", adding: "We spoke about nine finals, we won the first four finals, it was a good first step. Now we have the next final where we have to go. We try to play our best football in the last five games - if we do this, we have a big opportunity."
- On Emmanuel Fernandez being linked with Arsenal this week: "Manny knows as well what he has here. I think he developed very quickly. We should not forget one year ago he played in League One, now he plays for a big club."
- Rohl says it is a "big compliment" to Rangers that they this week secured 16-year-old full-back Ashton Scally on a first professional contract despite "a lot of interest from a lot of big clubs".