NafisaKris Boyd has delivered a brutal assessment of Rangers after their latest European humiliation, claiming Derek McInnes’ position at Ibrox could now be in serious danger.
The former Rangers striker was left stunned by what he watched as his old club crashed out of the Conference League to Jablonec on penalties, bringing an end to their European campaign before the league phase.
Rangers had travelled to Czechia holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, but a dismal performance saw Vakhtang Chanturishvili level the tie before the hosts eventually prevailed in the shoot-out.
For a club that has spent heavily during the summer rebuilding its squad, the result represented another major setback.
McInnes did not attempt to hide from the criticism afterwards, admitting he was embarrassed by the performance and accepting responsibility for failing to get enough from his players.
But Boyd was even more scathing.
The Sky Sports pundit could barely contain his frustration as he ripped into Rangers and questioned whether McInnes can survive the fallout from such a damaging night.
“Absolute pub team,” he told Sky Sports. “Theyv’e been terrible.
“Devoid of any ideas. No creativity.
“They’ve just been going long and hoping that something is going to happen.
“This was coming. They are absolutely miles off it.
“Derek McInnes, you’ve got to say, his job will be under threat after this this evening.
“It has been terrible.”
Boyd’s comments underline just how quickly the mood around Ibrox has changed.
McInnes arrived with the task of rebuilding Rangers and restoring a sense of competitiveness, but failing to qualify for European football has immediately intensified the pressure surrounding the manager.
The performance was arguably even more concerning than the result.
Rangers struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the game and appeared short of ideas whenever they gained possession. Jablonec, despite being considered outsiders before the tie, looked capable of causing problems for long spells.
The Light Blues eventually survived into extra time, but the penalty shoot-out exposed the consequences of failing to settle the contest during 120 minutes.
Findlay Curtis and James Penrice missed from the spot, sending Rangers crashing out.
McInnes subsequently described himself as “mortified” and “embarrassed”, while insisting that the responsibility was shared between himself and his players.
But with no European football now coming to Ibrox, Rangers face an uncomfortable period.
The club have invested significantly in the squad and still have transfer business to complete, while several players remain linked with exits.
Nico Raskin’s future is also uncertain after he was left behind in Glasgow amid reported transfer interest, while Connor Barron and several other players have been mentioned as potential departures.
That leaves McInnes with little room for error.
Rangers’ domestic campaign now carries even greater importance, because there is no European run to soften a poor league position or generate additional revenue.
And the next challenge comes quickly.
Rangers are expected to travel to Aberdeen on Sunday, meaning McInnes has barely any time to pick his players up after one of the most painful nights of his tenure.
Boyd’s warning therefore arrives at a particularly awkward moment.
The former striker has already labelled Rangers a “pub team” and claimed the manager’s job is under threat.
Now McInnes has to produce the response that could determine whether those words become a prediction or merely another brutal piece of punditry.
Nafisa
