Rangers Exit Europa League Early Under McInnes

Rangers’ Europa League campaign was over almost before it began, and Derek McInnes did not bother sugar-coating it.

The Ibrox side were held 1-1 by Jagiellonia Bialystok in Glasgow, but slipped out of the Europa League 3-2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round – their earliest exit from the competition since 2017. The boos at full-time were loud, angry and sustained. McInnes listened to them and agreed.

“It was justified, to be honest. It wasn't good enough,” he said. “What we served up, particularly second half, wasn't good enough.”

“Not ready” for Europa League

McInnes, still searching for his first win after four games in charge, cut a blunt figure as he assessed where Rangers stand.

“We need to be honest, the club's built for Europa League and Champions League and that's the intention, to get there,” the former Rangers midfielder said. “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.”

The result leaves Rangers staring at a season without Europa League football and piles immediate pressure on a manager only weeks into the job. He is already the sixth permanent boss since Steven Gerrard walked away in 2021. The churn continues; so do the same old problems.

Tactical gamble, mixed return

Injuries forced McInnes into a reshuffle. Without left-back Tuur Rommens and striker Youssef Chermiti, he ripped up Sunday’s plan from the defeat to Hibernian and made five changes, switching to a back three.

“I felt we had to make the game open and it was a bit too open at times in the first half,” he admitted. Gassama and Yakota were pushed high, effectively as wing-backs. It was a bold move. It was also a big ask.

At times, Rangers looked stretched. At others, the risk seemed worth it.

“I thought it paid dividends in terms of penalty box action, getting the goal,” McInnes said. “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.”

The pattern is becoming familiar to him already.

“Once again, it's not another 90-minute performance,” he said. “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.”

“Inexplicable” defending and lost composure

The tie turned on a moment Rangers simply failed to manage. McInnes was scathing about the way his team conceded.

“For us to lose the goal. 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 said.

“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 frustration in his voice matched the fury in the stands. This was supposed to be the kind of night Rangers handle as routine. Instead, it became another painful European inquest.

Work to do – and not much time

McInnes knows exactly why he is in the job. The previous season, by his own admission, failed to meet the club’s demands.

“What we served up last year wasn't good enough. You get a job for a reason,” the former Hearts head coach 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.”

There was no attempt to hide behind context or caveats.

“There's no two ways about it, we should be winning this game,” he said. “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 Europa League door has slammed shut. The question now is whether McInnes can stop the noise around Ibrox from getting louder before the domestic season starts to define his reign.