NafisaRangers’ European nightmare deepens as Derek McInnes faces growing pressure after Jagiellonia heartbreak
It was supposed to be the night Rangers turned the page.
Instead, another difficult evening at Ibrox has left Derek McInnes facing questions that seemed unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
The Rangers boss is still waiting for his first competitive victory in charge, and the patience of the supporters is already being tested after just four games.
The mood around Ibrox has changed dramatically.
What began with optimism surrounding a new manager and a heavily reshaped squad has quickly turned into frustration, with Rangers now knocked out of the Europa League qualifying rounds after a 1-1 draw against Jagiellonia Bialystok.
The Polish side progressed 3-2 on aggregate following their victory in the first leg.
And for Rangers, the manner of the exit was arguably more painful than the result itself.
Rangers throw away their advantage
More than 41,000 supporters turned up at Ibrox hoping to see Rangers overturn the 2-1 deficit from Poland and keep their Europa League campaign alive.
For a while, it looked as though the night might go exactly as planned.
Rangers started with purpose and were rewarded in the 19th minute when they were awarded a penalty after a handball inside the Jagiellonia box.
Daisuke Yokota’s effort struck Yuki Kobayashi as the Celtic defender attempted to block the shot, and after the intervention, Rangers were handed the opportunity they desperately needed.
It was particularly ironic given the fury surrounding the penalty Rangers conceded against Hibernian at the weekend following a VAR review.
This time, however, Rangers were the beneficiaries.
Lawrence Shankland stepped up and delivered.
The Rangers captain blasted his penalty straight down the middle to register his first goal for the club and put his side ahead on the night.
For a boyhood Rangers supporter, it should have been the perfect moment.
It ultimately counted for very little.
Jagiellonia strike the decisive blow
Rangers knew they needed another goal to take the tie beyond 90 minutes.
Instead, they spent long periods looking vulnerable themselves.
Jagiellonia had already provided warning signs before the equaliser.
Jesus Imaz struck the inside of the post after the visitors carved open the Rangers defence, while Rodrigo Conceicao repeatedly found space down the right.
That became an increasing problem for McInnes.
Djeidi Gassama was deployed as a wing-back in the manager’s 3-5-2 system, but his failure to consistently track runners left Rangers exposed.
Eventually, Jagiellonia made them pay.
After 65 minutes, Anders Klynge delivered a dangerous cross towards the far post.
Nic Prelec got there first.
His header flew into the net and suddenly Rangers’ Europa League hopes were hanging by a thread.
The visiting players sprinted towards their supporters to celebrate, while the atmosphere inside Ibrox changed almost instantly.
Rangers now needed two goals to save their European campaign.
They never looked capable of producing them.
McInnes throws everything at the problem
McInnes had spoken about accepting risk before the match, and with elimination staring him in the face, he had little choice but to gamble.
The Rangers manager threw on every attacking option available to him, including Bogan Miovski, who has been something of a forgotten figure in the squad.
But the changes failed to produce the required response.
Rangers became increasingly untidy as the minutes disappeared.
There was plenty of effort, but not enough quality.
The final whistle eventually confirmed what the home supporters had feared.
Rangers were out.
And the reaction from those who remained inside Ibrox was telling.
As the players attempted a subdued lap of the pitch, one supporter could be heard shouting:
“Get off the park!”
It summed up the mood perfectly.
McInnes’ tactical gamble fails
The decision to switch to a 3-5-2 was understandable given the circumstances, but it exposed some of the problems that have already become apparent during McInnes’ brief reign.
Yokota and Gassama were effectively asked to operate as wing-backs, despite neither being an obvious solution to the defensive demands of that role.
Yokota had moments of influence and was involved in the move that eventually resulted in the penalty.
Gassama, meanwhile, once again produced the frustrating mixture of ability and inconsistency that has followed him since his arrival.
McInnes clearly believes there is a player capable of making an impact at Rangers.
The question is whether Gassama can finally produce it consistently.
The same could be said of Thelo Aasgaard.
There is no doubt about his talent, but this was not his night.
He was withdrawn at half-time, with Ross McCrorie introduced at left-back in an attempt to deal with Conceicao’s threat.
The adjustment did little to improve Rangers.
If anything, they became less effective after the break.
Rangers desperately need more quality
The problems extend beyond tactics.
Rangers simply lacked the attacking quality required to break down a disciplined Jagiellonia side.
Ryan Naderi struggled to convince as a long-term solution up front, particularly with Youssef Chermiti sidelined through injury.
The striker and Shankland worked hard, but there was little cutting edge.
One of the biggest cheers of the evening arguably came when Miovski appeared to be preparing to come on.
Even his introduction could not change the outcome.
That leaves McInnes with another major problem to solve.
Chermiti’s absence has made the need for another striker increasingly obvious, while the lack of creativity in the wide areas remains a concern.
Rangers are already working on bringing in reinforcements, with PSV winger Couhaib Driouech expected to arrive in a deal worth around £7million.
But one signing will not suddenly solve everything.
Pressure is building quickly on McInnes
The six consecutive victories McInnes recorded at the beginning of his Hearts reign already feel like a distant memory.
At Rangers, he has yet to experience the feeling of winning a competitive match.
There was the 1-1 draw with Dundee United.
Then came the 2-1 defeat against Jagiellonia in Poland.
That was followed by the controversial 2-1 loss to Hibernian at Ibrox.
Now Rangers have been eliminated from the Europa League.
Four games into his tenure, the manager is already facing a serious test of his authority.
The next challenge is St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup.
That match suddenly carries considerably more importance than it might have done before Thursday night.
Fail to win again and the pressure will become even greater.
Rangers could then find themselves preparing for a Conference League play-off against Jablonec with supporters increasingly questioning the direction of the team.
McInnes needs results.
More importantly, he needs his players to start showing that there is a clear plan behind the rebuilding process.
For now, the Rangers supporters are being asked to believe in a project that has yet to produce a victory.
And after another European disappointment at Ibrox, patience is beginning to look like a luxury the new manager may not have.
Nafisa
