Rangers just crashed out of the Conference League, losing a gut-wrenching 4-3 penalty shootout to Jablonec on Thursday, and manager Derek McInnes isn’t mincing words. He’s taking “full responsibility” for what he called an “embarrassing” European exit. This is a brutal blow, especially after holding a 1-0 lead going into this second leg.
A Humiliating Collapse On The Pitch
Talk about a missed opportunity. Rangers went into the second leg with a lead, then even led early in the penalty shootout. But Findlay Curtis and James Penrice both missed their final two penalties, sealing their fate. The stats from the 120 minutes in the Czech Republic paint a grim picture: just over 46% possession, a shocking single shot on target, fewer than 70% of 16 tackles won, and a whopping 17 fouls. McInnes himself didn’t hold back, saying he “can’t accept, and we shouldn’t accept, losing individual battles, duels, second balls, not winning enough tackles.” He added, straight up, “We got what we deserved.” Former midfielder Andy Halliday piled on, ripping the team for “no style, no desire, no movement, no tackles, no shots, no control,” claiming they “offered absolutely nothing over 120 minutes.” Ouch.
The Hot Seat Is Burning For McInnes
This disaster means no European football for Rangers beyond August, a first since their 2017 defeat to Progres Niederkorn. It absolutely cranks up the pressure on McInnes, whose reign at Ibrox has seen a “hapless start” including a Europa League exit against Jagiellonia Bialystok and a draw and defeat in their first two Premiership games. While McInnes pointed to a “big turnover of players” and the team looking “inexperienced at times,” he quickly shut down excuses: “the responsibility is mine to make sure we’re better than what we served up tonight.” Pundits are already asking tough questions, with Halliday noting Rangers played five different formations and showed no idea how to score despite a full week to prepare. McInnes is “mortified with the performance,” and honestly, who could blame him?
This kind of gut-wrenching exit, one he admitted might set them back, means the pressure on McInnes is now immense. He said, “the team that deserved to go through went through tonight and that’s hard for me to take.” With the European dream dead, every single league game from here on out is a direct referendum on McInnes and whether he can possibly turn this thing around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
Leave a Reply