Rangers manager Derek McInnes has conceded his squad is not yet equipped for the demands of European football, following a difficult result against Jagiellonia Bialystok that pushed the Ibrox club into a Conference League play-off against Czech side Jablonec.
Despite investing heavily in nine new signings this summer, McInnes was blunt in his assessment that the squad remains short of what is required at the highest level. "The club is built for the Champions League and Europa League, but I don't think the team is ready for it and it pains me to say it," he said. "We need to get more quality, we need to get more confidence into the team."
The manager, who took charge with the explicit aim of improving on last season's disappointing finish, did not shy away from criticism of the team's recent output. "That is the job I came into Rangers to do. Rangers finishing third last season, what was served up wasn't good enough. We have to get things moving in the right way quickly," he added. He also gave credit to the opposition, describing Jagiellonia as "a decent team with some good players" who are "well coached", while insisting Rangers "at their best should be winning this."
For McInnes, the defeat represents a continuation of issues that plagued the team toward the end of last season, particularly a failure to sustain performance levels across a full 90 minutes. Asked whether the fans were right to boo the team off after the match, he did not hold back. "I think it was justified, to be honest. What we served up in the second half was not good enough," he said. "In the four games we've had, there's been some good moments, but it's not been good enough and certainly not a strong enough 90-minute performance. It is not great to watch. My team go from some good highs in the first half to being as poor as we were in the second half and you have to say we didn't do enough."
Compounding the club's difficulties, striker Youssef Chermiti has been ruled out with a long-term knee injury, a blow that arrived shortly after Rangers turned down a substantial offer for the 22-year-old. The setback has forced the club to prioritize bringing in a new forward alongside the wingers and defenders already on McInnes's recruitment list. The manager confirmed the club are working hard to secure the right additions, with PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech expected to be the next arrival at Ibrox.
Former Rangers midfielder Gordon Halliday echoed concerns about the squad's balance, suggesting the club still needs reinforcements including three centre-halves, a left-back, and two or three wingers this late into the transfer window. Even so, he maintained that the players currently available should be sufficient to see off domestic rivals Dundee United and Hibernian, as well as Jagiellonia. "But the current squad that's available should be enough to beat Dundee United, it should be enough to beat Hibs and, to be honest, it should be enough to beat Jagiellonia Bialystok," Halliday said.
Much was expected from the reunion of McInnes with striker Lawrence Shankland, who came close to leading Hearts to the title last season while working under the same manager. However, former Rangers forward Steven Thompson believes Shankland is now feeling the added scrutiny that comes with captaining Rangers. "It's the weight of playing for Rangers, the weight of not having the start that he wanted, and the weight of taking a bad touch," Thompson said. "At previous clubs, if you take a bad touch and give it away, you might get a few pelters. Here tonight, when Lawrence Shankland's link-up play wasn't that good or he should've had a shot when he didn't, they are on you and it is going to take him a bit to get used to that I think. It's not physical, it's mental."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.