NafisaEmmanuel Fernandez has revealed exactly what he has been working on with Derek McInnes after finding himself under increasing scrutiny during Rangers’ difficult start to the season.
The defender has been one of the more closely watched players at Ibrox since the campaign got underway, with Rangers struggling for consistency and suffering an early European exit during the qualifying stages.
Fernandez has nevertheless remained one of McInnes’ preferred centre-back options.
And while criticism has come his way, the Rangers defender has made it clear that he is not allowing outside noise to dictate his approach.
That is particularly interesting given the assessment of former Rangers striker and prominent pundit Kris Boyd, who has been among those to question Fernandez’s defensive performances.
Boyd has previously highlighted concerns over Fernandez’s positioning, awareness and decision-making, while also questioning whether Rangers have been getting enough security from their centre-back options during difficult spells.
The criticism has added to the pressure surrounding a player still developing his game at Ibrox.
But Fernandez’s response suggests he is taking a far more internal approach to dealing with it.
“I just try to focus on myself and try and improve, being better. Every day I want to be better.”
That mentality has also been reflected in McInnes continuing to trust him.
Fernandez has kept his place alongside Olwethu Makhanya even after Ben Godfrey returned to the matchday squad, while Rangers have recently produced clean-sheet victories against Aberdeen and Motherwell.
Those results have offered some encouragement after the turbulence of the opening weeks.
And Fernandez has now explained that the conversations he has been having with McInnes are not necessarily about the big mistakes that attract the most attention.
Instead, the focus has been on the smaller moments which can ultimately determine whether an opposition attack develops into a genuine goalscoring opportunity.
The Rangers centre-back said: “Ah, to be fair, I don’t really look into what is said about me.
“I just try to focus on myself and try and improve, being better. Every day I want to be better.
“I know when something I’ve done is bad and I know that I need to improve on it. But it’s something, like I’m still growing as a player and something I know that I will improve on eventually. And I just focus on the demands of the club and myself as well.
“Maybe it’s just concentration in moments. Like, if we do have a chat, it’s concentration in moments, the small things.
“Sometimes they’re the ones that could cause a goal to come against us or attack to come against us, and it’s limiting opportunities for teams to have attacks against us. And that’s the main thing we talk about.”
That admission is particularly revealing.
While pundits such as Boyd have questioned aspects of Fernandez’s defending, the player himself appears to recognise that there are areas of his game which still need work.
Rather than attempting to dismiss every criticism, he accepts that he will make mistakes as he continues to develop.
The important part for Rangers is whether those mistakes become less frequent.
Fernandez’s comments also indicate that McInnes is paying close attention to those details.
For a centre-back, concentration cannot simply be switched on when the opposition has possession inside the penalty area. A momentary lapse earlier in an attack can be enough to allow an opponent to advance, create space or eventually threaten the goal.
That appears to be precisely the area Fernandez and McInnes are trying to improve.
And there are already signs that the work is beginning to have an impact.
Rangers have managed consecutive clean sheets against Aberdeen and Motherwell, with Fernandez continuing to feature despite the increased competition created by Godfrey’s return.
That does not mean the criticism has suddenly disappeared.
At Ibrox, defenders are always likely to face scrutiny when results are below expectations, and Fernandez will inevitably find himself back under the microscope if another mistake contributes to a disappointing result.
But his response demonstrates that he is not interested in becoming distracted by every opinion surrounding him.
Boyd may have questioned his performances, but Fernandez’s answer has not been to launch a public counterattack.
Instead, he has pointed towards self-improvement, greater concentration and the demands being placed on him by McInnes.
For Rangers, that could ultimately be the response they want to see.
Fernandez is still developing, and his manager clearly believes there is enough potential in him to continue handing him responsibility at the heart of the defence.
If he can eliminate the small lapses he has identified himself, the defender may yet turn the criticism surrounding his early Rangers performances into motivation for a much stronger campaign.
Nafisa
