Derek McInnes sent a message to his players that they aren’t doing what’s required, with a reference to the failures of last season.
“I’m not gonna watch” was one of his responses, in conversation with BBC Radio Scotland after the 2-1 loss to Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League qualifying tie.
The first leg reverse – which set two unwanted club records – can be salvaged, but not if Rangers put in another unconvincing performance.
Thankfully, the next two games are at Ibrox – Hibs in the Premiership, followed by the visit of Jagiellonia – and there must be a response from the players.
Derek McInnes slams Rangers’ sloppy performance in Poland
“I felt we beat ourselves, said Derek McInnes.
“We started the game really well and were in absolute control. The team was picked to make sure that the rotations in midfield weren’t a problem, and they weren’t.
“Our three did fine in there at times. We got off to a good start with a good bit of combination play, being patient with what we were trying to do, and putting stress on their defenders. We scored (secured) an own goal and it was a perfect start.
“Then we stopped doing what was working for us. We made two mistakes for the two goals. I’m not going to watch us all season lose the ball on the edge of the box and have it end up in a chance for the opposition.
“We need to be far more concentrated, focused, aggressive, talkative, and organised to stop these types of things happening.
“We saw a lot tonight of what we were last season. We gave up too many chances and gave teams too much encouragement.”
That last line was a very deliberate one and very much a case of ‘the quiet part out loud’.
What happens next for McInnes’ team?
The Rangers boss was clear that further reinforcements are required and the need for quality is clear to see.
However, he won’t be happy that his team are miles off the pace, two games into the season.
Far from good enough on or off the ball, struggling to create chances to score and looking vulnerable at the other end.
Derek McInnes is far from happy with what he’s seeing, and no doubt he will deliver some more hard truths in the dressing room, beyond what has been said in public, tonight.
That’s the easy part. The real challenge is making a difference on the pitch with the players at his disposal.
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