Rangers stumble again as Szmyt double sinks McInnes in Poland

Rangers’ faltering start to the Derek McInnes era continued as they were beaten 2-1 by Jagiellonia Bialystok in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie in Poland, with the new manager admitting his side were “guilty of beating ourselves”.

Rangers made the perfect start when home defender Guilherme Montoia turned a Tuur Rommens cross into his own net after just four minutes, but the lead lasted less than ten minutes. Kajetan Szmyt equalised in the 13th minute before doubling his tally eight minutes later, both goals coming after further lapses at the back from the visitors.

McInnes made a triple change at the interval, introducing Cammy Devlin, Nico Raskin and Findlay Curtis, and Rangers dominated possession for long spells of the second half without finding a way through. Curtis came closest, striking the post in stoppage time, as the visitors were left to rue missed chances heading into next week’s second leg at Ibrox.

McInnes rues cheap goals

The defeat leaves McInnes still searching for his first win since returning to Ibrox, following a subdued draw at Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership opener. Speaking after the match, the 55-year-old did not hide his frustration at what he saw as a repeat of last season’s failings.

“We’ve seen a lot tonight of what I thought Rangers were last season,” McInnes said, according to BBC Sport. “I thought we gave up too many chances and gave teams too much encouragement. We’ve got to be honest and say we are guilty of beating ourselves tonight. And that’s no disrespect to our opponent, because on transitions and counter-attack, it fuels them.”

He added that his side must tighten up defensively if they are to turn the tie around: “There’s no bigger drain on confidence for any player, team or support than losing cheap goals. There were mistakes for the goals, and I understand that can happen, but we have got to be far more stingy with our work, defend the goal with our lives, don’t give our opponent opportunities.”

Fresh faces, familiar problems

McInnes’s appointment was seen by many supporters as a chance for a reset after a turbulent period at Ibrox that saw both Russell Martin and Danny Rohl fail to arrest the club’s decline. Nine new signings have arrived this summer, with more business expected before the transfer window closes, but early results suggest old problems persist.

Among those to feature in Poland was winger Daisuke Yokota, signed from Hannover, who made his debut and had several early touches before Rangers found themselves behind. The result means Rangers must overturn a one-goal deficit at Ibrox next week to keep their Europa League qualification hopes alive, with McInnes needing a marked defensive improvement if his side are to progress.

Read more: McInnes era begins with a whimper as Rangers held by Dundee United

Sources

• BBC Sport
• The Independent

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.