The Ibrox Impasse: Hugh Keevins Sounds Alarm as “Rohl Revolution” Hits January Gridlock

​By Our Scottish Football Correspondent

​GLASGOW — As the January transfer window enters its critical third week, the initial euphoria surrounding Danny Rohl’s first winter market at Rangers has begun to curdle into anxiety. Despite a flurry of early activity that saw the arrival of Belgian full-back Tuur Rommens and combative midfielder Tochi Chukwuani, veteran pundit Hugh Keevins has issued a stark warning to the Ibrox hierarchy: the “Rohl Revolution” risks stalling before it truly begins unless the club can solve its chronic inability to offload deadwood.

​In his latest assessment of the state of play in Govan, Keevins suggests that while the German manager has identified the targets capable of closing the six-point gap to league leaders Hearts, his hands are currently tied by a bloated wage bill and a lack of suitors for the club’s fringe players.

​The “In” Door is Open, But the “Out” Door is Jammed

​The window began with a statement of intent. The £3 million capture of Tuur Rommens from Westerlo was seen as a coup—a young, dynamic left-back who fits Rohl’s high-pressing template perfectly. The addition of Tochi Chukwuani from Sturm Graz further bolstered a midfield that had looked leggy during the festive period.

​However, the “main event” of the window was supposed to be the arrival of Andreas Skov Olsen. The Danish winger, currently at Wolfsburg, has been Rohl’s priority target to add a left-footed threat to the right flank. A loan-to-buy deal is reportedly agreed in principle, but finalizing the move—and potentially funding a move for a striker like Hibs’ Kieron Bowie—requires financial headroom that simply isn’t there yet.

​”Danny Rohl is trying to paint a masterpiece at Ibrox,” Keevins noted this weekend. “But he is being asked to do so while the canvas is still cluttered with the scribbles of previous regimes. You cannot bring in Champions League quality while paying Europa League wages to players who are watching from the stands.”

​The “Unshiftables”: A Legacy of Bloat

​Keevins’ primary concern centers on what he terms the “Ibrox Unshiftables”—a group of senior players on lucrative contracts who have no future under Rohl but seem content to run down their deals.

​The most high-profile situation involves captain James Tavernier. Now 34, the right-back has been the subject of intense speculation regarding a move to Panathinaikos. The Greek giants, managed by Rafael Benitez, are reportedly preparing a pre-contract offer. However, Rohl needs Tavernier’s significant wages off the books now, not in the summer, if he is to accelerate his own plans. Keevins argues that the board’s inability to negotiate an immediate exit for the veteran defender is a “bottleneck” that is strangling the club’s momentum.

​Then there is the issue of the midfield periphery. Players like Kieran Dowell and the perpetually unsettled Ianis Hagi remain on the payroll despite being largely frozen out of Rohl’s starting XI.

​”Every day these players remain at the club is a day Danny Rohl cannot bring in the players he actually wants,” Keevins warned. “It is the classic Rangers paradox: a club desperate to evolve but anchored by the contracts of the past. Rohl has done his part; he has identified the talent. Now the recruitment team must do the ugly side of the job—finding the exit door for those who no longer fit.”

​The Skov Olsen Factor

​The frustration is compounded by the quality of the player waiting in the wings. Andreas Skov Olsen is viewed by Rohl not just as a signing, but as a “game-changer”—a player with the pedigree to unlock the deep defensive blocks that Rangers have struggled against at home.

​Keevins believes that missing out on Skov Olsen because the club couldn’t shift a squad player would be a “dereliction of duty” by the board.

​”If you have a player of Skov Olsen’s quality ready to fly to Glasgow, and the only thing stopping him is the wage of a player who hasn’t started a league game since October, the fans will not forgive the board,” Keevins stated. “Danny Rohl has built a reservoir of goodwill with the support, famously fist-pumping them into a frenzy even after defeats, but that goodwill is finite. He needs tools, not excuses.”

​The Title Race Context

​The urgency of Keevins’ warning is heightened by the Premiership table. This is the most open title race in years, with Hearts currently leading the pack, six points clear of Rangers in third, and Celtic sandwiched in between.

​For the first time in a decade, the duopoly has been genuinely threatened. Keevins argues that this makes the January window more consequential than ever. “Usually, Rangers only have to worry about Celtic. This year, they are fighting a war on two fronts. Hearts are not going away. If Rangers stagnate in January, they don’t just risk losing the title; they risk the humiliation of finishing third.”

​Danny Rohl has managed to stabilize the ship after the chaotic start to the season, but “stability” is not enough for the Ibrox faithful. They demand silverware. Rohl knows that to catch Hearts and overhaul Celtic, he needs more firepower.

​The Verdict: A Week that Defines a Season

​As the window heads toward the frantic final days, the pressure on the Rangers board is immense. The signings of Rommens and Chukwuani were good starts, but they were the appetizer. The main course—Skov Olsen and a striker—is currently stuck in the kitchen.

​Hugh Keevins’ assessment is grim but realistic: “Danny Rohl is doing his job. He is coaching this team to punch above its weight. But he cannot perform miracles. If the exits don’t happen, the incomings stop. And if the incomings stop, the title challenge stops with them.”

​For Rangers, the next seven days are not just about transfers; they are about proving that the club is capable of the ruthlessness required to be champions. The “deadwood” must go, or the revolution will be televised only as a rerun of previous failures