Rangers manager Derek McInnes remains resolute in his belief that he can salvage the team's season, despite a challenging start that has seen them crash out of Europa League qualifiers and falter in their opening league matches.
The Ibrox club suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Poland's Jagiellonia Bialystok on Thursday night, marking another early exit from European competition. This has compounded a difficult start to their domestic campaign, where they have failed to secure a win in their first two league games and already find themselves five points behind league leaders Celtic.
McInnes, who has yet to record a victory in his four matches in charge, acknowledged the frustration of the fanbase. "I think they [the fans] need to see something to get behind," he stated. "And they need to see action. They need to see a team who are better than what they were on Thursday night."
The manager admitted that while he understands the supporters' anger, he is confident that with a few more quality additions, the team can improve. "We're still working hard towards that -- and we've got money to spend," McInnes said. "We've got good ownership. We've got a lot of younger players. What we could do with is just a wee bit of help and to get a few more in the door."
Rangers completed the loan signing of left-back James Penrice on Saturday from AEK Athens, with an option to buy. The 27-year-old former Partick Thistle and Livingston player won the Greek title last season. McInnes views Penrice as a valuable addition, stating, "He plays in an area of the pitch where we are currently a little light, so it was important that we brought in someone who can bolster us in that position and provide competition."
McInnes highlighted the importance of securing a win in the upcoming League Cup clash against St Mirren at Ibrox, describing it as a must-win game for the under-fire manager. "We need to try and win games as we go along. Because if you don't win games, everything becomes so much more difficult," he explained. "The only thing that has to change is getting more winning performances."
St Mirren, on the other hand, have started the season strongly, winning five of their last six matches across all competitions and both of their league fixtures. McInnes cautioned his players, noting, "There's a lot of players there that I know and I have a good idea of how they want to play the game come Sunday."
The manager hopes that a victory against St Mirren will not only boost the team's confidence but also re-energize the supporters. "We could do with winning a game and getting a wee bit of confidence into the lads and getting a wee bit more optimism into the support," McInnes added.