Rangers' shaky start under McInnes raises early doubts

Twelve minutes into the Europa League third‑round qualifier, Thelo Aasgaard's spin on the edge of the box set up a swift reply, and a minute later Jagiellonia Bialystok slotted the ball home to give the visitors a 1‑0 lead.

The Polish side extended the advantage before halftime and held on for a 2‑1 first‑leg victory, a result that followed Rangers' 0‑0 draw with Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership curtain‑raiser.

Derek McInnes, still seeking his first win two games into his Rangers reign, described the performance as a reminder of what the club looked like last season, saying, “We’ve seen a lot tonight of what I thought Rangers were last season.” The SNSImage caption accompanying the match report highlighted that McInnes is still seeking his first win.

His appointment was billed as a fresh start after a succession of managers arrived with glowing reviews and left under criticism, and nine signings have already arrived this summer with more expected, yet last year’s ruinous form continues to loom over Ibrox.

Defensively, the central partnership of Dujon Sterling and Emmanuel Fernandez appeared shaky, prompting former midfielder Andy Halliday to question the trust in Fernandez, noting, “If you asked me whether I trust Fernandez, there’s no way I’d say yes.”

In the second half, a triple substitution introduced Cammy Devlin, Findlay Curtis and Nicolas Raskin, with the 20‑year‑old Curtis emerging as the standout, striking the post late on and delivering several dangerous deliveries.

Former striker Steven Thompson praised Curtis, saying the winger “has a fearless nature to try to make a positive impact,” while McInnes warned that “there’s no bigger drain on confidence than losing cheap goals” and urged the team to be “far more stingy” in defending.

The defeat leaves Rangers winless after two matches, keeping them behind in the Europa League tie and putting early pressure on McInnes to reverse the trend before the return leg and the domestic campaign gain momentum.