Rangers have steadied themselves with two victories, but their opening weeks under Derek McInnes have fallen short of expectations.
The new Premiership campaign began with a 1-1 draw at Dundee United. Thelo Aasgaard rescued a point after Lachlan Rose had put the hosts ahead, although Rangers were unable to build on their equaliser.
A 2-1 defeat away to Jagiellonia Bialystok followed in Europa League qualifying, with McInnes then suffering his first Ibrox loss when Hibs struck in stoppage time to win by the same scoreline.
Rangers drew the return meeting with Jagiellonia and were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate. That result dropped them into the Conference League and extended McInnes’ winless start to four matches.
|
Rangers’ start under Derek McInnes |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Date |
Match |
Result |
Outcome |
Competition |
|
31 Jul 2026 |
Dundee United vs Rangers |
1-1 |
D |
Scottish Premiership |
|
6 Aug 2026 |
Jagiellonia Białystok vs Rangers |
2-1 |
L |
Europa League third qualifying round, first leg |
|
9 Aug 2026 |
Rangers vs Hibernian |
1-2 |
L |
Scottish Premiership |
|
13 Aug 2026 |
Rangers vs Jagiellonia Białystok |
1-1 |
D |
Europa League third qualifying round, second leg |
|
16 Aug 2026 |
Rangers vs St Mirren |
5-1 |
W |
Premier Sports Cup round of 16 |
|
20 Aug 2026 |
Rangers vs Jablonec |
1-0 |
W |
Conference League play-off, first leg |
|
Total |
Six matches |
10 scored, seven conceded |
W2, D2, L2 |
|
The mood improved with a 5-1 League Cup victory over St Mirren, but Thursday’s performance against Jablonec was far less convincing.
Rangers struggled to trouble the Czech side during a flat opening half and were met by boos as the players left the pitch at the interval.
Ryan Naderi eventually broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart, converting from close range after Daisuke Yokota had directed the ball into his path.
However, Rangers failed to build a comfortable advantage. Djeidi Gassama missed a golden opportunity before substitute Cammy Devlin was dismissed for a dangerous challenge shortly after entering the game.
McInnes’ side protected their 1-0 lead, but the tie remains open ahead of the return fixture, and the performance also reinforced Rangers’ desire to add more pace and creativity before the window closes.
They’ve now returned to a familiar face in ex-favourite Vaclav Cerny, despite some reports they’ve agreed a deal for Girona’s Min-su Kim.
Rangers make offer for Vaclav Cerny as Besiktas respond
Turkish journalist Murat Ozen has now reported that Rangers made an ‘official offer’ to bring Cerny back to Ibrox, but Bestikas have turned it down and the player himself wants to remain in Turkey.
If accurate, the update represents a double setback for Rangers.
Beşiktaş have refused the proposal, while Cerny has reportedly made it clear that he wants to remain in Istanbul.
The 28-year-old requires little introduction to Rangers supporters after spending the 24/25 season on loan from Wolfsburg.
Cerny bagged 18 goals and nine assists across 52 appearances during that campaign. His most productive European display came against FCSB, when he scored twice in a 4-0 Europa League victory at Ibrox.
The Czech winger returned to Wolfsburg after his loan before joining Beşiktaş permanently in September 2025.
Separate reports in July claimed Rangers had already seen an offer worth around £5 million rejected, and while Ozen’s latest information suggests their interest remained active, Cerny’s own position could now end the pursuit.
