{"id":482,"date":"2026-08-18T08:02:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T08:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/?p=482"},"modified":"2026-08-18T08:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T08:02:16","slug":"rangers-hit-by-big-blow-as-derek-mcinnes-falls-at-the-first-hurdle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/18\/rangers-hit-by-big-blow-as-derek-mcinnes-falls-at-the-first-hurdle\/","title":{"rendered":"Rangers Hit by ‘Big Blow’ as Derek McInnes ‘Falls at the First Hurdle’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Derek McInnes is already facing the pressure of being Rangers manager just weeks after the start of the new season at Ibrox. Despite an impressive 5-1 win against St Mirren last time out, the new boss’ first win as Rangers manager, frustrations are lingering amongst the supporters.<\/p>\n

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The atmosphere around Rangers remains tense, with expectations at the club always extremely high. A single convincing victory may have provided some relief, but it has not completely erased concerns about the direction of the team under McInnes.<\/p>\n

Now, Rangers have been hit by what is being described as a major blow, with McInnes seemingly falling at the first hurdle in an area where supporters expected him to make an immediate impact.<\/p>\n

Taking charge of Rangers was never going to be an easy assignment. The club comes with enormous expectations, demanding supporters and a constant requirement to challenge for major honours. Every result is analysed, every decision is questioned and every setback can quickly become a major talking point.<\/p>\n

For McInnes, the pressure has arrived remarkably early.<\/p>\n

The 5-1 victory over St Mirren was undoubtedly a welcome response after the difficult opening period. Rangers showed attacking quality, scored freely and gave supporters something to celebrate. But football at Ibrox is rarely judged on one afternoon.<\/p>\n

The real test is consistency.<\/p>\n

Supporters want to see Rangers build momentum, compete at the highest level and establish themselves as serious contenders for trophies. They also want to see evidence that McInnes has a clear plan capable of taking the club forward.<\/p>\n

That is where the latest setback becomes significant.<\/p>\n

The phrase “falls at the first hurdle” will inevitably raise questions about whether McInnes has already encountered difficulties in implementing his plans. While one setback does not define a manager’s entire tenure, the timing could hardly be more uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

There is very little patience at a club where success is expected rather than simply desired.<\/p>\n

McInnes will know that winning matches is the strongest way to silence criticism. The 5-1 victory demonstrated what Rangers can produce when everything clicks, but the challenge now is to reproduce that level of performance repeatedly.<\/p>\n

Anything less could see the pressure intensify.<\/p>\n

The Rangers supporters are also unlikely to judge McInnes solely on the scoreline. They will be watching performances, team selection, tactics, recruitment decisions and how the manager responds when his team faces adversity.<\/p>\n

That is why the coming weeks could be crucial.<\/p>\n

A strong run of results would quickly change the conversation. Rangers could move forward with confidence, and McInnes would have the opportunity to establish his authority without the constant noise surrounding his position.<\/p>\n

However, another poor result could bring the doubts straight back to the surface.<\/p>\n

There is also the psychological side of managing Rangers. Players know the expectations, while supporters can quickly turn frustration into pressure when results do not meet their standards. McInnes therefore has to keep the dressing room united while simultaneously convincing the fanbase that his project deserves their trust.<\/p>\n

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The “big blow” comes at an awkward moment because Rangers need stability. The club cannot afford to spend the season constantly reacting to setbacks and criticism. McInnes needs to find solutions quickly and ensure that one problem does not create another.<\/p>\n

His first major challenge is therefore not simply winning another match. It is creating belief.<\/p>\n

The 5-1 win against St Mirren provided a glimpse of what supporters want to see, but one victory cannot be the foundation of an entire season. Rangers need performances that demonstrate progress and results that match the ambitions of the club.<\/p>\n

For McInnes, this is where his managerial experience will be tested.<\/p>\n

He must show that he can handle the pressure, manage expectations and turn difficult moments into opportunities. Most importantly, he must convince the Rangers faithful that the club is moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n

The early warning signs may have arrived sooner than expected, but the season is still young.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of time for McInnes to change the narrative. A strong sequence of performances could make the current criticism disappear almost overnight. Football supporters can be unforgiving, but they can also be incredibly quick to embrace a manager when they see progress.<\/p>\n

For now, however, the pressure is real.<\/p>\n

The big question is whether McInnes can respond before the frustration at Ibrox grows any further.<\/p>\n

The 5-1 victory has bought him some breathing room. The latest setback threatens to take some of it away.<\/p>\n

And with Rangers, the next result is always more important than the last.<\/p>\n

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Derek McInnes is already facing the pressure of being Rangers manager just weeks after the start of the new season at Ibrox. Despite an impressive 5-1 win against St Mirren last time out, the new boss’ first win as Rangers manager, frustrations are lingering amongst the supporters.   The atmosphere around Rangers remains tense, with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":487,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482\/revisions\/487"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzecho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}