McInnes on Rangers’ woe: We’re not as bad as people think

Derek McInnes arrived at Ibrox with a reputation for steadying troubled ships, but three games without a win have already tested that narrative. After Hibernian’s 2-1 victory on Sunday 9 August 2026, the Rangers manager pushed back against the chorus of criticism, insisting his side “aren’t as bad as some people will be saying at the minute.” The defeat leaves McInnes’ team five points behind Celtic after two league matches, and with a mounting list of issues to address before the transfer window slams shut.

Where it went wrong — and why the manager isn’t panicking

The opening 11 minutes set the tone. A VAR-reviewed penalty, awarded after Vanja Dragojevic’s foul on Jason Kerr, gave Hibs an early lead. McInnes labelled the decision “a wrong one,” arguing it forced Rangers onto the back foot before they could settle. The visitors’ first shot of the game found the net, and though Rangers clawed back into the contest through a James Tavernier penalty, the damage was compounded when Josh Campbell struck again before half-time to seal the win. McInnes’ side had managed just 38% possession in the first half, a statistic that underlined their inability to impose any early rhythm.

Youssef Chermiti’s enforced exit on a stretcher added another layer of complication. The club’s marquee signing, introduced to Ibrox just days earlier, was carried off in the 34th minute with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. The absence of their most potent attacking threat left Rangers without their primary source of creativity, and McInnes was left to manage without his focal point. “Obviously, Youssef’s injury is far from ideal,” the manager admitted, framing the setback as a temporary hurdle rather than a terminal blow.

The squad puzzle — fitness, integration, and the transfer scramble

McInnes conceded that some players are “not quite as fit” as he would like, a reality that has blurred the edges of his starting XI. The defeat to Hibs marked Dragojevic’s first start since arriving from Partizan Belgrade, and while McInnes praised the defender’s “brave” performance, the lack of cohesion was evident in Rangers’ disjointed build-up play. “We need to get them playing to get them fit,” he said, outlining the dual challenge of integrating new arrivals and restoring match sharpness. The manager also referenced the broader squad picture, with several first-team regulars still working their way back from longer-term issues.

The transfer window remains open, and McInnes hinted at further incomings to shore up a squad still finding its rhythm. “We try, as a club, to come out of this window strong,” he noted, framing the next fortnight as a pivotal stretch. With Celtic already six points clear, the margin for error is shrinking, but McInnes’ refusal to accept the narrative of crisis suggests he sees a path back to competitiveness. The manager’s comments came as reports emerged of interest in two Championship forwards, though no deals were confirmed at the time of his post-match interview.

Tactical snapshot: shape, space, and the search for rhythm

McInnes described Hibs’ 3-5-2 shape as “allowing us to play in front of them at times,” a rare positive in an otherwise disjointed display. Yet the first half’s sluggish tempo—Rangers completed just 78% of their short passes in the opening 20 minutes—betrayed a side still searching for its identity under new leadership. The manager acknowledged “some good moments,” particularly in the way his side probed down the right flank through Tavernier, but the lack of cutting edge—exacerbated by Chermiti’s exit—left Rangers short of the spark required to overturn the deficit. The challenge now is to convert sporadic promise into consistent performance before the window closes.

Rangers’ early-season stumbles are undeniable, but McInnes’ defiance offers a counterpoint to the doom-mongering. Five points adrift after two games is a position no title-chasing side wants, yet the manager’s insistence that his team are “not as bad as people think” frames the coming weeks as a chance to silence critics—not with words, but with results. The transfer window is the next battleground, and if McInnes can steady the ship before the international break, the narrative may yet shift from crisis to correction. For now, the pressure is mounting, but the manager’s resolve suggests he believes the building blocks are still in place.