It’s not exactly the worst result in a European away tie. We would back ourselves to win a one-off game against most teams at Ibrox and should fancy ourselves next week. The problem is that the word should is doing a lot of heavy lifting based on what we are currently seeing.
Thursday's 2-1 defeat against Jagellonia was another performance that lacked so much. The manager admitted it himself; we saw far too much of what we witnessed last season, and that was a Rangers team that won nothing and finished third.
I don't think it's as simple as blaming one, two or even three players. The squad has been revamped more times than I can remember and it remains to be seen how much we have actually improved this summer.
We have to show patience, but that ran out years ago and the unhappiness surrounding the current recruitment set-up is already rearing its head. Rangers require a degree of stability at the club. Off-field drama is not needed as we try to back McInnes this season, but I understand impatience.
We've signed nine players and, truthfully, we probably need another five or so. At the same time, we are offloading a host of players. It's an unhealthy level of turnover that has become almost routine every summer.
The biggest issue, as I highlighted above, is the question: are we really improving? A defence of Ross McCrorie, Dujon Sterling, Manny Fernandez and Tuur Rommens would make you question that heavily, and their performance in Poland further demonstrated that the answer is currently no.
A defence that was always going to lose James Tavernier, Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga and, soon, John Souttar has not yet been replaced adequately, and it's showing. Fernandez has started as though he is still on holiday, Ben Godfrey is already injured and everyone seems to disappear whenever teams counterattack at a speed we can only dream of.
McInnes summed it up himself after the match when he said, in essence: "I can't watch this team attack on the edge of the opposition box only to concede a clear chance in our own box after losing possession." He is right.
Hollywood passes and lazy jogs back simply won't cut it at Rangers. You need to be fully committed because if you're only half in, it won't work, as the goals we have conceded in the opening two games show.
Players who are suddenly the flavour of the month still haven't convinced me that they are anywhere near ready to be the main men at this club.
I have a lot of sympathy for McInnes. He's clearly still getting to know the dressing room and, as erratic as some of his selections have been, he is learning who he can trust. He also has to realise that the list is not very long. Persisting with individuals from a squad that failed so dramatically last season will lead to similar results and potentially similar outcomes.
Recruitment must help him urgently and Rangers require genuine quality to knit everything together. A centre-half must arrive quickly, and one of real quality. A left-back is required too otherwise disaster beckons. Creativity in the form of wingers is needed to turn us into a dangerous outfit. At times, our attacks currently pose more danger to ourselves than the opposition.
That quality has to arrive, or poor performances will continue and cost us too many points and too many results.
I still can't shake the feeling that there are too many players in this squad who will never improve or make it at Rangers. My long-standing gripe is that players arrive and stagnate. It is a huge concern that several never progress beyond occasional flashes of brilliance and long-term mediocrity.
Performances at Tannadice and in Poland have only heightened those worries. Derek says the squad will look different by the time the window closes. It simply has to.
I remain as positive as I can be. Those nagging doubts can be dispelled with positive results against Hibs and Jagiellonia in the return leg, but a lot needs to happen for that to materialise.
It's early. These are only nagging doubts and I hope they are diminished in the coming weeks. For that to happen, Rangers need quality, both on the pitch and through the door. That's the responsibility of the current hierarchy, who are not beyond criticism.
Read more:
- Rangers defender explains issue that caused side to look so open in Jagiellonia loss
- The reason Rangers looked so open against Jagiellonia and how to fix it
I said weeks ago that eyes would be on those running the club. Failure to deliver in the coming weeks will not only handicap McInnes, but it will also further aggravate a support whose patience is already wearing thin.
The pressure is on. This is Rangers and that expectation is entirely correct. Accepting the current status quo in terms of performances certainly is not.
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