McInnes backs himself to deliver Rangers success

What the report says

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has said the team are still “a long way away” from the standard he wants, but he remains confident he can still deliver success at Ibrox. His comments came after Rangers suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Czech side Jablonec in the Conference League play-off, which ended their involvement in Europe for this season.

The BBC Sport report says Rangers have made a mixed start under McInnes. They have reached the League Cup quarter-finals, where they will host Celtic next month, but have taken only one point from their opening two Scottish Premiership matches. Their next league game is away to Aberdeen on Sunday, adding pressure to a side still trying to settle after an active transfer window.

McInnes said the squad is not yet functioning as he wants and that the team needs more help and support. He also pointed to uncertainty before the window closes, saying further arrivals and departures are likely. The article notes that Rangers have already brought in 12 players, while McInnes hopes to add a couple more and expects one or two to leave.

More broadly, McInnes said his teams usually have a clear identity and that he wants Rangers to press more aggressively, defend with more intensity and be more comfortable in possession. The report frames this as an early-stage rebuild, with the manager arguing that progress will be judged over the longer term rather than on the difficult opening weeks.