Who stood out for Rangers against Jablonec and what needs fixing

Derek McInnes' side should have enough about them to finish what they started here with this 1-0 victory. They should, though, have had had enough to overcome Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League and they failed that assignment.

Ryan Naderi scored his second goal in as many starts to give McInnes' side the lead early in the second half. It was an advantage Rangers were worth but that wasn't saying much against such limited opposition.

The dismissal of Cammy Devlin just minutes after his introduction changed the dynamic. Rangers had to decide whether to stick or twist. In the end, they had to settle for what they had and time will tell whether that is good enough or not.

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The job is not done yet

They say there is a first time for everything. This was not the one that Rangers were hoping for this season, of course. A debut in the Conference League has come on the back of a domestic failure and a continental one, with their third-place finish last term setting them up with the tie against Jagiellonia that was lost last week.

The third UEFA competition is some way from the level that this club aspires to operate at. As McInnes said following the exit to the Poles, it is perhaps their level right now. That was a damning indictment of what has unfolded here for too long.

The prospect of no European action would have been unthinkable on the first day of McInnes’ tenure. He now has 90 minutes to ensure that scenario, which would be a real blow in both football and financial terms, does not come to pass.

The return trip to Jablonec next week carries more threat than it needs to. This tie could and should have been all-but won first time around. Rangers have no excuses.

Will one goal be enough?

The best chances in the first quarter were created by the hosts. Some were clearer than others, some were closer than others. It proved to be a frustrating period for Rangers as possession was dominated but the scoreboard didn’t tick over.

An effort from Vanja Dragojevic that struck the left post and rebounded clear sparked a response from a home crowd that had been largely muted. Naderi did well to knock the ball into Dragojevic’s path and the Serbian was unlucky not to add to his stunning strike against St Mirren. His earlier attempt was narrowly wide of that same upright.

Jan Hanus saved well from Djeidi Gassama after eight minutes. He was later forced into action by James Penrice as he worked himself space inside the area. The wait went on for McInnes.

It lasted five minutes into the second half before the deadlock was broken. Dan Neil picked out Daisuke Yokota with a dink over the Jablonec defence. The Japanese nodded the ball back across goal and Naderi finished from six yards.

The game, and perhaps the tie, should have been over from the same distance minutes later. Naderi’s cross from the right was powerful and Gassama somehow scooped it over the crossbar as McInnes turned with his head in his hands.

An important shut-out at long last

The wait for a victory was finally ended at the fifth attempt. At the sixth, a clean sheet was recorded. The importance of that fact could be shown in the fullness of time.

It was assumed that a McInnes side would be harder to play against and harder to play through than many previous iterations of outfits that have worn this jersey. That was not the case in the opening five matches and even St Mirren would have been aggrieved that they didn’t score more than once in their defeat at the weekend.

This Jablonec outfit were limited as an attacking proposition. The imposing figure of Lamin Jawo naturally gave them a focal point, but few issues were caused in transition moments. The danger for Rangers was conceding soft fouls in precarious positions and Jablonec – aided by a picky referee - were content to disrupt the flow of proceedings.

Any moments of anxiety were caused by Rangers being slack in possession rather than their visitors showing any signs of guile. The side that finished fifth in their domestic division last term offered little until the closing stages when they sought to exploit the nerves within the crowd. They will be content with a narrow defeat.

Concerns over style and substance

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The 4-3-3 formation that worked against St Mirren on Sunday was kept as McInnes made just one alteration to his starting line-up. An ankle injury kept Nico Raskin out of the team, with McInnes revealing pre-match that the Belgian had to receive an injection following the Premier Sports Cup victory as he insisted the decision had nothing to do with the ‘flight risk’ posed by suitors monitoring his transfer situation.

Raskin’s place was taken by Neil. The former Sunderland skipper also took over the armband. Tochi Chukwuani and Vanja Dragojevic joined Neil in the middle of the park.

Once again, the issue was the tempo rather than the tactics. McInnes was frustrated that the ball was not moved quicker and that the wide options of Gassama and Yokota were not found sooner. As Rangers dallied on the ball, the Czechs retreated into their shape.

The second half was better from McInnes’ side and they deservedly had the lead. McInnes sought to add to it with the additions of Devlin and Findlay Curtis. Within minutes, the plan had to change as Devlin was dismissed after a VAR check for a tackle on Jriri Slama that bemused all within Ibrox.

A low-key occasion all round

Seven days ago, the reaction of the Ibrox crowd told its own story. McInnes and his players were left in no doubt about the feelings of the support as Rangers crashed out of the Europa League. The mood was raised with that win over the Saints on Sunday and McInnes spoke of the need to try and build on that with a first leg victory.

To say the opening 45 minutes didn’t quite go to plan was an understatement. The boos at the break did not hit the same decibel level from a crowd of 34,701 as the final whistle against Bialystok but the home support were rightly less than enthused about what had been served up.

It felt more like a run of the mill Premiership fixture than a European occasion. The team did not inspire the fans and the fans did not inspire the team. The debate over what should happen first is an interesting one and a bit chicken and egg.

Whatever the answer, and there is no definitive one, it can be concluded that both parties are at fault in their own way. If Ibrox is to be the daunting venue for opposition that McInnes needs and wants it to be, those on the park and those off it must find a way of working together.