Rangers Haven't Done Enough, Admits McInnes After Europa League Exit
Rangers manager Derek McInnes acknowledged that his team did not perform well enough to warrant progression in the Europa League following a disappointing defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Although Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland managed to equalize the tie on aggregate with an early penalty, a second-half header from Nik Prelec secured the victory for the Polish side.
As a result, Rangers will now compete in the Conference League playoffs, with their next match scheduled against FK Jablonec from the Czech Republic.
Speaking to Rangers TV, McInnes expressed his disappointment with the team's exit from the Europa League. "The opportunity is gone, and we have to say we haven’t done enough over both legs to merit getting through," he stated.
He added, "I thought we were good value for 1-0. I thought they had a few scary moments, but I just think where we are at the moment, as a team, I thought the goal would help us. We changed the shape to try to get Djeidi Gassama and Daisuke Yokota more involved."
"We stopped playing into our strikers and lost a bit of control of the game. At 1-0, the game is in the balance; we still have everything to do. We had to step it up to go and get the next goal, and we never did."
"The goal was indicative of the types of goals we've conceded throughout pre-season," McInnes commented.
McInnes is still seeking his first victory as the manager of Rangers since joining from Hearts in the summer.
"I think it was justified, to be honest," he concluded. "What we served up in the second half was not good enough."
English Translation:
Rangers manager Derek McInnes admitted that his side did not deserve to progress after an embarrassing Europa League defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Rangers captain Lawrence Shankland leveled the tie on aggregate with an early penalty, but a second-half header from Nik Prelec was enough for the Polish side to go through.
Rangers will now drop into the Conference League playoffs and face FK Jablonec of the Czech Republic next week.
McInnes told Rangers TV: "I’m disappointed that we’ve exited the Europa League. The opportunity is gone, and we have to say we haven’t done enough over both legs to merit getting through."
"I thought we were good value for 1-0. I thought they had a few scary moments, but I just think where we are at the moment, as a team, I thought the goal would help us. We changed the shape to try to get Djeidi Gassama and Daisuke Yokota more involved."
"We stopped playing into our strikers and lost a bit of control of the game. At 1-0, the game is in the balance; we still have everything to do. We had to step it up to go and get the next goal, and we never did."
"The goal was systematic of the types of goals we’ve lost throughout pre-season."
McInnes is still waiting for his first win in charge of Rangers after joining from Hearts in the summer.
"I think it was justified to be honest," he says. "What we served up in the second half was not good enough."
Fresh materials — Latest Football News

Manchester United Takes the Lead in Champions League
Manchester United has scored their inaugural goal of the new Champions League season. The Red Devils are participating in Europe's premier competition for the first time under the revamped league phase format, and they've made a strong opening at Old Trafford. Having secured qualificati

Torres Shines as PSG Dominates Slovan Bratislava in Champions League Opener
World Cup hero Ferran Torres delivered a brilliant hat-trick as defending champions PSG launched their Champions League campaign with a stunning 6-1 demolition of Slovan Bratislava. The Spanish forward, who scored the winning goal in this summer's World Cup final, built on his impressive

Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Reds Come From Behind to Secure Victory
Liverpool staged a remarkable comeback at Anfield, defeating Atletico Madrid 2-1. Alexis Mac Allister scored the decisive goal shortly after halftime, completing the turnaround against the Spanish club. Marcos Llorente had initially put Atletico ahead in the 17th minute. However, Dominik Sz

Chelsea 6-3 Leeds: Blues Mount Stunning Second-Half Comeback in Nine-Goal Thriller
Chelsea staged a remarkable second-half fightback to overcome Leeds with a 6-3 victory in the EFL Cup fourth round at Stamford Bridge, despite being down by two goals at halftime. Leeds held the advantage for a significant portion of the first half, taking a deserved lead through Tarik Muha

Iraola Hails Anfield Atmosphere as Mac Allister Leads Liverpool to Champions League Victory
Andoni Iraola expressed his satisfaction with his players' performance following Liverpool's 2-1 triumph over Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener. Marcos Llorente initially put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute, but Dominik Szoboszlai equalized before halftime, and

Leon Goretzka's Aston Villa Debut Delayed Until After International Break
Aston Villa midfielder Leon Goretzka will not make his debut until after the international break. Goretzka, who recently transferred to Villa from Bayern Munich upon the expiry of his contract, was hoped to feature immediately for the team. He had not played since Germany's elimination