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I watched Rangers lose to Jagiellonia Białystok and noted difficult debut + new No.6 not up to scratch Three talking points from Rangers’ 2-1 defeat to Jagiellonia Białystok in Poland Rangers were punished for slack defensive lapses as they lost 2-1 to Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland to leave them with work to do to salvage their Europa League hopes. Derek McInnes’ side failed to get a hold of the game after Guilherme Montoia’s own goal and were punished by the hosts in the first leg of their third round qualifier as Kajetan Szmyt bagged a double in the opening 45 minutes. Lewis Anderson watched proceedings unfold for The Scotsman and picks out three main talking points: Difficult debut for Daisuke In the wake of Friday’s 1-1 draw with Dundee United in their Scottish Premiership curtain-raiser, McInnes stressed that his Rangers side will get better and grow stronger with time and additional squad reinforcements during a summer of transition. While he remains “a wee bit short defensively”, McInnes’ team selection raised a few eyebrows yet again pre-match, with new signing Daisuke Yokota thrown straight in at the deep end for his European debut just over 24 hours after arriving from German club Hannover. Long-term, the Japanese winger will attempt to fill a large hole on Rangers’ right-hand side of attack with no other wide man at the club proving they are comfortable on that flank. Oliver Antman has departed for Anderlecht, Djeidi Gassama has flattered to deceive and Ross McCausland remains out of the first-team picture under McInnes, leaving them extremely short of options in a key area of the pitch. It’s vital that Rangers add more goals and assists from wide areas this season if they are to be successful on both European and domestic fronts. Yokota is an intriguing addition and somewhat of an unknown quantity. Footage suggests he is technically gifted and capable of offering a different type of attacking threat in addition to what Rangers already possess. He tried his best to get involved early on and affect the game from a more central position, displaying an eagerness to cut inside onto his left foot. However, it was a difficult evening for the 26-year-old, who is still learning the names of his new team mates and was one of three players hooked at half-time. New number six not up to scratch The arrival of midfield anchor Dan Neil from Sunderland earlier this summer was one that excited the Rangers support. And it was a bold call from McInnes to hand him the captain’s armband for the club’s opening game of pre-season against Kaizer Chiefs in Portugal. It was an even bigger call to leave out recently-appointed skipper Lawrence Shankland for such an important European away tie, but his absence offered vice-captain Neil the chance to prove his leadership qualities on the big stage. This wasn’t the 45 minutes he wished for. Renowned for his work-rate, exceptional range of passing and cool composure under pressure, Neil wasn’t up to scratch in the Polish heat. Too often he gave away possession and played a lacklustre ball to Thelo Aasgaard that led to Jagiellonia’s second goal. He offered little protection to the back four in the opening 45 minutes and was taken off at the break, with the returning Nico Raskin stepping in on his return to the squad for the first time since returning from the World Cup. Half-time replacements provide better foundation Rangers were fortunate to trudge down the tunnel at the interval only trailing by one goal. The hosts had opportunities to extend their lead and left McInnes needing to pull a rabbit out of the hat. A concerning first-half promoted him to make three alterations, with the introduction of Raskin, Cammy Devlin and Findlay Curtis giving Rangers a better foundation and providing the catalyst for a much-improved display. They looked far more assured entering the final third. Rangers finished the match strongly with Scotland international Curtis undoubtedly offering the brightest spark and making some clever runs in behind a tiring Jagiellonia backline. His stoppage-time volley cannoned off the post, while Shankland had an effort smothered by the keeper during his late cameo appearance. Comments Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.