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."
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