Kevin Thelwell tells Danny Rohl EXACTLY what his job at Rangers is | OneFootball

Danny Rohl’s arrival at Rangers was supposed to mark a clean break from the chaos that came before. Yet the spectre of Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart hangs heavy over him, and the early signs are slightly troubling. As Ibrox Noise has already pointed out, Thelwell has made it clear that Rohl’s job stops at tactics and team selection, nothing more. That kind of statement from the Sporting Director publicly clips the wings of the new man before he even starts, and Rangers fans have every right to be uneasy.

Thelwell’s tight grip

Thelwell has wasted no time asserting control. In his recent remarks, he made sure to define Rohl’s place. He stressed that the German’s focus must stay on coaching and match preparation, while recruitment and wider football decisions remain in his office. Ibrox Noise has warned that such behaviour from those above the manager shows a familiar arrogance creeping back into Ibrox. That was not an accident. It was a clear message that the power at Rangers sits with him, not the man on the touchline. Supporters can see through it. They know when a manager is being managed, and they know when someone is being boxed in.

A manager hamstrung before he starts

For Rohl, it’s a brutal start. Instead of being trusted to shape the team in his image, he’s already been told the limits. Ibrox Noise reminded fans that this is the same leadership structure that lost Muscat and Gerrard. Many remember how Russell Martin also spoke about having to accept certain things. It didn’t end well for him. Thelwell’s insistence on control risks suffocating Rohl’s early momentum, and fans are watching closely. They want a coach who can inspire players, not one caught in a web of bureaucracy. Even Patrick Stewart’s influence as CEO adds another layer of distance between the football side and the man actually leading the players.

The fans see the warning signs

Supporters have long feared this kind of setup. They remember how directors meddled in football matters before, and they know how often it ends badly. Rangers’ official site describes Thelwell’s role as a unifying one, but what Rangers need right now is leadership and unity. Instead, it feels fractured already. Rohl deserves freedom to make football calls. Instead, he walks a tightrope built by others.

If Sky Sports and Glasgow World are correct, the current power dynamic inside Ibrox is delicate. If Thelwell and Stewart keep their grip, the manager’s authority risks becoming symbolic. Talk of shared vision sounds nice, but control is the issue. When a Sporting Director publicly defines his coach’s limits, he exposes a power problem inside the club. That’s the last thing Rangers need as they try to rebuild from yet another failed era. Danny Rohl’s arrival at Rangers might be the new face, but the old hierarchy still rules from above, and until that changes, progress will remain a promise rather than a reality.