Derek McInnes remains in search of his first victory as Rangers manager after three matches, expressing frustration over his team's early-season performance and a series of defensive errors. The team suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Hibernian on Sunday, further compounding their difficult start.
Following a Europa League qualifying loss in Poland, McInnes urged his squad to become "far more stingy with our work, defend the goal with our lives, don't give our opponent opportunities." He criticized the team for exhibiting "worrying characteristics" that hampered them last season, a sentiment that appeared to hold true in the recent match against Hibernian. Rangers' defense struggled to maintain shape, and a penalty was conceded when summer signing Vanja Dragojevic fouled Josh Kerr. These errors, coupled with a lack of consistent pairings in defense, have intensified the team's struggles.
The defensive lineup has seen significant variation in McInnes's short tenure. A draw with Dundee United featured a back line of Ben Godfrey, Dujon Sterling, Emmanuel Fernandez, and Tuur Rommens. The European away match in Poland saw Ross McCrorie, Sterling, Fernandez, and Rommens in defense. Most recently, against Hibernian, the defense comprised Dragojevic, Olwethu Makhanya, Fernandez, and Rommens. These issues are a priority for the coaching staff, especially with the second leg of their Europa League qualification tie against Jagiellonia Bialystok approaching on Thursday.
Despite the loss, McInnes felt the defeat to Hibernian was "really harsh on us" as he believed Rangers "were the better team" and "deserved far better than we got." He also disputed the penalty awarded to Hibernian, which led to their opening goal. "It's damaging in the sense that we came here to win and we expect to win," McInnes stated. "What we've got to do now is just dust ourselves down because that was a blow for us. The response of the team in the latter part of the game was terrific."
The inconsistency in selection is mirrored by the team's on-field form. Allan, speaking on the matter, noted that "Performing consistently is what [brings] results and winning silverware, and I know its very early on, but there is no consistency in how Rangers were playing today."