Derek McInnes criticises Rangers players after Europa League exit
Derek McInnes has turned on his Rangers players after their humiliating Europa League exit intensified the pressure surrounding his position at Ibrox, reports BritPanorama.
The 55-year-old remains without a victory after four matches in charge after Rangers were dumped out of Europe by Jagiellonia Bialystok on Thursday night. A 1-1 draw at Ibrox was not enough to rescue the Scottish giants, who crashed to a 3-2 aggregate defeat in the third qualifying round.
This marks Rangers’ earliest Europa League exit since 2017 and prompted an angry reaction from supporters, with boos ringing around the stadium at the final whistle.
McInnes accepted the criticism before delivering a damning assessment of his team’s shortcomings, questioning their quality, composure, and decision-making. “It was justified, to be honest. It wasn’t good enough. What we served up, particularly second half, wasn’t good enough,” he stated regarding the supporters’ reaction.
The manager added, “We need to be honest, the club’s built for Europa League and Champions League and that’s the intention, to get there. But I’m not sure the team is quite ready for it at the moment and it pains me to say that, to be honest, it does.”
“We need to get more quality, we need to try and get more confidence out of the team,” he continued. McInnes made five changes following Sunday’s defeat to Hibernian, while injuries to left-back Tuur Rommens and striker Youssef Chermiti further complicated his preparations.
A shift to a back three allowed Rangers to threaten during the opening period, with Djeidi Gassama and Metehan Yakota given demanding roles as wing-backs. However, another inconsistent display ultimately proved costly.
“Once again, it’s not another 90-minute performance,” McInnes admitted. “That’s been in the Rangers for a while now. It’s been a continuation of that this season, already. In the four games we’ve played, we’ve had some good moments, but it’s not been good enough and certainly not a strong enough 90-minute performance.”
McInnes was particularly scathing about Jagiellonia’s goal, accusing his players of failing to demonstrate the necessary intelligence to stop the attack before it developed. “It’s inexplicable how we don’t make a foul, how we don’t stop the flow of the attack, how we don’t just sanitise that whole situation,” he stated. “It’s not lack of bodies, it’s lack of intelligence, it’s lack of doing the right thing, to be honest. We lost all our composure after that, if I’m going to be honest with you.”
The disastrous result will only increase scrutiny on McInnes, who became Rangers’ sixth permanent manager since Steven Gerrard left Ibrox in 2021. His tenure has begun with four matches without a victory, but the former Hearts boss remains convinced he can reverse their fortunes. “You get a job to try and make things better and obviously sometimes you get it because things aren’t quite right, and we have to try and get things moving the right way quickly,” he stated. “There’s no two ways about it, we should be winning this game.”
With European hopes already extinguished, McInnes now faces an immediate challenge to steady the ship. Rangers face League Cup holders St Mirren on Sunday, while the manager has made clear that reinforcements are required before the transfer window closes.
As the tension builds and supporters grow restless, McInnes’s task becomes ever more urgent — it’s a stark reminder of how fragile fortunes can shift in football, and of the steep hill that lies ahead for Rangers.
