Rangers Boss Just ADMITTED His Team Isn't Ready For European Football — And The Fans Are NOT Having It 😬

Stop everything, because Rangers are in full-blown crisis mode — and their own manager just threw his team under the bus. 😬

Derek McInnes stood in front of the cameras Thursday night after watching his side crash out of the Europa League and said the words NO manager wants to admit: "The club is built for the Champions League and Europa League, but I don't think the team is ready for it."

Yes, really. Out loud. On camera.

The Nightmare Continues

According to BBC Sport, McInnes has now made the worst start of any Rangers manager in recent history (barring caretakers) — four games, zero wins, and an early Europa League exit that has the Ibrox faithful absolutely raging.

Sky Sports reports that Rangers drew 1-1 at home against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok on Thursday, losing 3-2 on aggregate. It's their earliest Europa League exit since 2017 — and the boos at full-time? Absolutely deafening.

When asked about the hostile reception from fans, McInnes didn't sugarcoat it: "It was justified, to be honest. What we served up in the second half was not good enough."

Ouch.

The Tea ☕

• Four games, ZERO wins: McInnes' Rangers have drawn with Dundee United, lost to Jagiellonia away, lost at home to Hibs, and now crashed out of Europe
• The manager's brutal honesty: "I don't think the team is ready" for European football, despite spending millions on NINE new signings this summer
• Fans walked out early: Many left before the final whistle, and those who stayed booed the team off the pitch

"It's Not Great To Watch"

McInnes inherited a mess — Rangers finished third in the Scottish Premiership last season and sacked Russell Martin in October after a similarly dismal start. But four games into the new era, things somehow look WORSE.

The manager blamed a lack of "90-minute performances," admitting his team went from "good highs in the first half to being as poor as we were in the second half."

He switched tactics at halftime — moving from three at the back to four — and it completely backfired. BBC Sport quotes former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday saying the change made sense "but it didn't work, it's as simple as that. They lost all control."

The Transfer Window Panic Is REAL

Here's where it gets messier: Rangers are now scrambling to sign three centre-backs, a left-back, and multiple wingers before the window slams shut, according to pundits quoted by BBC Sport.

Oh, and their striker Youssef Chermiti — who they just rejected a big-money bid for — is out with a long-term knee injury. So add "emergency striker" to the shopping list.

McInnes insists the club is "working so hard to get the necessary type of players," with PSV winger Couhaib Driouech reportedly set to arrive. But as Halliday pointed out: "The current squad that's available should be enough to beat Dundee United, it should be enough to beat Hibs and, to be honest, it should be enough to beat Jagiellonia Bialystok."

Brutal, but fair.

Captain Shankland Is Feeling The Pressure

One of the summer's big moves was reuniting McInnes with striker Lawrence Shankland, who nearly won the title with him at Hearts last season. But the pressure of being Rangers captain is clearly weighing on him.

Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson told BBC Sport: "It's the weight of playing for Rangers, the weight of not having the start that he wanted, and the weight of taking a bad touch. Here tonight, when Lawrence Shankland's link-up play wasn't that good or he should've had a shot when he didn't, they are on you."

The fans are NOT in the mood for patience right now.

What The Fans Are Saying

The reaction on social media and fan forums has been absolutely savage. Here are some of the takes BBC Sport collected:

Simon: "I wanted to give a manager time, but I'd cut my losses and get rid of McInnes now. Never thought he was the man for this job — and he's proving me right, big time."

Alex: "I foresee another trophyless season ahead for Rangers — no cohesion, no fight, no skill, nothing. Rangers are woeful."

Kevin: "Rangers look as bad as they did under Mark Warburton in the Championship. In fact, that team would thump this one."

But not everyone's ready to hit the panic button yet. Jonny wrote: "Folk saying McInnes should be sacked need to calm down. Look at the squad. Who would do well with it? Give the man time."

What's Next?

Rangers now drop into the Conference League play-offs where they'll face Czech side Jablonec — a far cry from the Champions League nights the Ibrox faithful are used to.

With the transfer window still open and the pressure already at boiling point, McInnes has maybe two or three games to turn this around before the calls for his head get even louder.

The question is: can he pull off a miracle turnaround, or is this another Rangers managerial appointment heading for disaster?

Is McInnes the right man for Rangers, or should they cut their losses NOW? Let us know in the comments! 👇

---

Sources:

• BBC Sport - What's going wrong for Rangers and McInnes?
• Sky Sports - Rangers 'not ready' to compete in Europa League