Derek McInnes declares Rangers aren't ready for Europa League
· Scott McDermott · 2026-08-14T06:14:35+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Derek McInnes declares Rangers aren't ready for Europa League as boss admits historic low 'pains' him
The aggregate defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok sends Rangers into the Conference League for the first time
Deflated Derek McInnes admit his ragged Rangers side aren’t yet ready for the rigours of the Europa League.
The new Ibrox gaffer watched his side crash out of UEFA’s second-tier tournament after a 1-1 draw at home to Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Lawrence Shankland’s first-half penalty had cancelled out the Poles’ lead from last week’s 2-1 first-leg defeat.
But Rangers’ change of shape allowed Bialystok to regain control and they march on to the play-off round thanks to Nik Prelec’s crucial second-half equaliser.
McInnes’ team now tumble in the Conference League for the first time in the club’s history.
And he admitted: “The club's built for the Europa League and Champions League. And that's the intention, to get there.
“But I'm not sure the team's quite ready for it at the minute.
“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 into the team. But there wasn't an outcome that we wanted.”
Rangers’ American owners faced a grilling from the irate Ibrox faithful at this week’s shareholder meeting.
Most of their complaints were centred around the relentless recruitment mistakes that now look like putting the Light Blues on course for another torrid campaign.
A deal for PSV winger Couhib Driouech and AEK Athens’ James Penrice are understood to be close.
But while McInnes is desperate for more, he defended the transfer team working to bring fresh talent to.
He said: “Until deals are done and over the line, it's tough for me to actually comment on that.
“You know, we're actively trying to get players in. The club is working so hard. I see it first hand.
“My office is next door to the recruitment lads and to everybody else and there's constant conversation. So everybody's working extremely hard to get the necessary players, the type of players that we require at the club.
“We're not just signing any players. We're hopeful we can land a few. I know Andrew Cavenagh said at the shareholders' meeting between three and five. So there's still a lot to do to get that type of number in.”
It’s crystal clear Gers need reinforcements and fast.
McInnes’ has overseen four games but is still yet to get his maiden victory as Ibrox gaffer.
His side started brightly in a 3-5-2 shape and stormed ahead when former Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi handled a cross from impressive compatriot Daisuke Yakota.
But a switch to a back four at half-time handed the initiative back to the Poles and it is Bialystok who now march on to a meeting with Georgians Iberia 1999 - with Rangers now set to face Czechs Jablonec.
McInnes groaned: “I think it was justified to be honest. It wasn't good enough. What we served up throughout the second half wasn't good enough.
“We’ve got to be honest with that, we've got to own it. I thought the game was a bit too open at times for us to happen.
“Obviously, Gassama and Yokota playing as effectively wing-backs, we were asking a lot of them at times.
“But I thought we paid dividends in terms of penalty box action, getting the goal. I thought we were good value for going in 1-0 at half-time, but I still thought that Jagiellonia had a couple of scares.
"And mostly again on when the ball was dead and on transitions. So, there was a bit of anxiety there. I thought we took Thelo Aasgaard off at half-time, just felt we wasn't getting involved in the game enough.
“And we go a back four, and the reason we'd go a back four is to try and get Gassama and Yokota a wee bit more effective higher up the pitch.
“ Because I think it was a lot to ask of them to do that for 90 minutes, playing in the position they were in. And by doing that, hopefully to provide the service a bit more regularly for Shankland and Ryan Naderi. We have to say, once again, it's not another 90-minute performance.
“That's been aimed at Rangers for a while now. Last season, I think it was aimed at strong 45 minutes. It wasn't followed up. 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 it's certainly not a strong enough 90-minute performance. And I just thought that, although I didn't think we were great in the second half, I didn't think we were creating too much.
"But for us to lose the goal that we do, where it's your set play. I think the first forward pass that they play is in the bottom left-hand corner in front of Copland Road. And for it to end up scoring at the top right-hand corner in front of the Broomloan is just madness. It's inexplicable how we don't make a foul, how we don't stop their flow and attack. How we don't just sanitise that whole situation. There's no lack of bodies.
“It's lack of intelligence. It's lack of doing the right thing, to be honest. Just make a foul and stop the attack.
“And I think once they equalised, it was so difficult. Because the players lost more confidence. The situation becomes a bit desperate.
“And I just thought we lost all our composure after that. That for me is not great to watch."