Derek McInnes openly acknowledged that Rangers are not yet equipped to compete at the level required for the Europa League. The Glasgow club secured a 1-1 draw at Ibrox in the second leg of their third‑qualifying round tie against Poland's Jagiellonia Bialystok, but ultimately fell 3-2 on aggregate, marking the earliest departure from the competition since 2017. The loss also extended McInnes' winless streak as Rangers manager to four matches. During the post‑match interview, McInnes addressed the jeers that erupted from the Rangers supporters after Jagiellonia's players responded to a fan's joke that their club name resembled a Wi‑Fi password.
He said the boos were understandable and reflected the frustration of a fan base that expects more. "It was justified, to be honest. It wasn't good enough. What we served up, particularly in the second half, wasn't good enough," the former Rangers midfielder said.
"We have to be realistic – the club aspires to be a regular participant in the Europa League and the Champions League. The intention is there, but I'm not convinced the squad is ready for that level at this moment, and it pains me to admit it." McInnes went on to stress the need for higher quality performances and greater confidence within the team.
"We need to raise the standard, we need to find more belief." Injury woes have also hampered Rangers' plans. Left‑back Tuur Rommens and striker Youssef Chermiti were both sidelined, prompting McInnes to switch to a back three and make five changes from the previous Sunday’s defeat to Hibernian. He explained his tactical choices, noting that he wanted the game to be more open, but admitted that the wing‑back roles assigned to Gassama and Yakota demanded a lot from them.
"I felt we had to make the game open and it was a bit too open at times in the first half. Gassama and Yakota playing as kind of effectively wing‑backs, we were asking a lot of them at times," he said.
"But I thought it paid dividends in terms of penalty‑box action, getting the goal. I thought we were good value for getting it one and a half‑time, but I still thought that Jagiellonia had a couple of scares." McInnes was blunt about the quality of the team's overall display.
"Once again, it's not another 90‑minute performance. That's been an issue for Rangers for a while now.
In the four games we've played, there have been some bright moments, but they haven't been good enough, certainly not a strong enough 90‑minute performance." He also criticised the lack of composure and decision‑making that led to the decisive goal. "It's inexplicable how we didn't make a foul, how we didn't stop the flow of the attack, how we didn't just sanitise that whole situation.
It's not a lack of bodies; it's a lack of intelligence, a 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." At 55, McInnes is the sixth permanent manager appointed since Steven Gerrard's departure in 2021. Despite the rocky start, he remains confident that the club can reverse its fortunes.
"What we served up last year wasn't good enough. You get a job for a reason," the former Hearts boss said. "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 emphasized that Rangers should be winning games and that the team must improve before the next league cup tie against holders St Mirren.
"There's no two ways about it, we should be winning this game. Rangers, as strong as they can be, should be winning this day and we have got work to do between now and the end of the window, but between now and Sunday to get ready to win a League Cup tie against holders St Mirren." The manager's candid assessment underscores a broader challenge for Rangers: bridging the gap between domestic ambition and European competitiveness. With key players injured and a squad still adapting to McInnes' tactical philosophy, the club faces a critical period of rebuilding. Fans, while vocal in their disappointment, will be watching closely to see whether the promised improvements materialise in the coming weeks, as the team seeks to restore its reputation and re‑establish itself as a contender on the continental stage.