Ex-Rangers star warns Rohl of 'mentality' his players now need vs St. Mirren amid manager sack

Rangers have a slight unknown phenomenon in front of them as they take on a managerless St. Mirren at the SMISA Stadium this Sunday.

The Bears need to repair the damage from the Old Firm defeat last weekend, quite literally physically and metaphorically, as the full-time scenes won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

But Danny Rohl’s focus now has to pivot swiftly to St. Mirren, as a win at this stage of the season is key to keep Gers’ hopes of a Scottish Premiership title alive.

Rangers are third place in the table, six points behind league leaders Hearts, as former Gers man Derek Ferguson believes St. Mirren will be up for the task following the sacking of Stephen Robinson.

Derek Ferguson warns Rangers to be ready for nasty St. Mirren side

Just nine games remain of the league season, and Rangers will be hoping to lift the title at the end of what would be a simply remarkable turnaround from the Russell Martin era.

Rohl has undoubtedly shifted the faith at Ibrox, but recent results have seen some Gers fans question the German’s ability moving forward.

While speaking on Open Goal, Ferguson admitted that he fears for Gers in this weekend’s game, highlighting that St. Mirren will be up for an upset win following the departure of Robinson.

Ferguson said: “They’ll revert to that [nasty side]. They will be looking forward to that, and you always get a reaction. The one thing Rangers will need is a bit of mentality.

“Roll your sleeves up and win the battle, because they [St. Mirren] will be at it.”

While similar to the Old Firm clash in the way the game will be aggressive, Rangers are away from home, lack momentum, and don’t know exactly what to expect from the Buddies.

How St. Mirren win sets Rangers up perfectly for hot streak

In many ways, a win over St. Mirren could be the biggest three points of the season for Rohl’s men, as a loss could put the final nail in the coffin for a comeback.

But a victory would set the Bears up nicely for a double header at Ibrox, and by the time they play Falkirk before the fixture split, they could have an extra nine points to their name.

By the resumption of play at the end of April, Rangers could have even more players back from injury, and may have gained some ground on Hearts.

It’s all to play for, and a win this weekend could dramatically shift the state of play once more.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.