Derek McInnes pictured ahead of a Rangers game
Derek McInnesImago

Derek McInnes 'screaming' and special Ibrox visitor - Things you may have missed in Rangers vs Jablonec

Dan Lewis

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Rangers were made to work hard as they defeated Jablonec 1-0 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League playoff qualifier.

Ryan Naderi scored early in the second half for what proved to be the only goal on the night.

Derek McInnes named Nicolas Raskin among his substitutes due to what he stated was an injury concern.

Cammy Devlin was among the substitutes brought on, but he was sent off soon after for a poor challenge that was checked by VAR.

McInnes will be pleased to have picked up a win to take to the Czech Republic next week, though it was anything but a vintage performance.

Here, Ibrox News picks out three things you may have missed from Rangers' slender win over Jablonec.

Derek McInnes not a happy man

McInnes regularly cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines, particularly during the rather dire first half.

As pointed out by Rangers Review's Joshua Barrie via X, McInnes was "screaming at his Rangers side to move the ball out wide quicker".

It was a tactic that worked well when Rangers listened to their manager, with the widemen having particular joy when picked out.

McInnes could be seen shouting regularly throughout the match, clearly annoyed that it just would not click for his side.

Sebastien Pocognoli in attendance at Ibrox

Scotland's new manager Sebastian Pocognoli was seen at Celtic's clash with LASK on Wednesday evening.

He made his way across Glasgow 24 hours later to see Rangers' showdown with Jablonec.

Pocognoli would have been annoyed that James Penrice was the only Scottish starter on the night.

He did later get to see Findlay Curtis, Connor Barron and Lawrence Shankland, but none of them made a massive impact.

All in all, a wasted visit for the Belgian.

Derek McInnes pictured ahead of a Rangers game
Derek McInnes provides clarity over Nicolas Raskin as Rangers exit chatter grows

Rangers fans vote with their feet

Ibrox was far from full for this European tie.

That was partly due to the quick turnaround between fixtures, but mainly because fans are not happy with the way the season has started.

The target is always to get into the Champions League - or the Europa League if not.

Rangers are now battling to get into UEFA's third-tier competition and it is therefore no surprise Ibrox was not close to capacity.

As pointed out by reporter Jane Lewis on the BBC's live blog, there were around 20 away fans in attendance.

Given Jablonec's status as a mid-table Czech side, fair play to those fans for making the trip.

Ibrox News
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