McInnes claims second win in a row as Rangers labour past Jablonec

Rangers secured a 1-0 win over Czech side Jablonec in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off at Ibrox, though the victory came with significant criticism of the team's performance. Ryan Naderi scored the only goal in one of the rare moments of coherent play from the home side.

The match was overshadowed by defender Cammy Devlin, who was sent off just five minutes after coming on as a substitute for an unnecessary and reckless challenge. Despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for a large part of the match, Jablonec failed to capitalise, remaining organised but posing little genuine goal threat.

Performance under fire

Rangers lacked movement and creativity for much of the first half, with the team described as hard-working but short on inspiration. Defender Emmanuel Fernandez often had few passing options going forward, drawing frustration from supporters. Manager Derek McInnes reportedly spent much of the match pacing anxiously in his technical area.

Among the positives were the clean sheet and solid individual performances from Djeidi Gassama, James Penrice and Olwethu Makhanya.

Spending under scrutiny

The report highlights the scale of investment under Rangers' new ownership, led by Andrew Cavenagh's consortium, which has spent close to £50-60 million on more than 25 new players since taking over last summer. However, results on the pitch have yet to justify that outlay, particularly when compared with rivals Celtic's recent form.

Midfielder Nico Raskin was left out of the squad, officially due to a minor injury, though speculation continues around reported interest from Turkish club Fenerbahce. Rangers travel to Jablonec next week for the second leg.