Near the end of Russell Martin’s spell at Rangers, he was asked to identify one or two areas that had improved under his leadership, but he was unable to provide an answer.
If McInnes faced that same question today, there is no certainty he could offer a convincing response either.
Rangers still lack a clear identity, and McInnes himself may be struggling to define what kind of team they are. He made three changes during Thursday’s interval, taking his number of half-time substitutions to 11 across seven matches.
That pattern suggests the manager is either selecting the wrong starting side, failing to communicate his instructions effectively, or working with players who cannot absorb his ideas. None of those possibilities reflects well on the situation.
He has a model to follow after seeing Hearts play the previous evening. They named four new signings in their starting team against Rapid Vienna before introducing two more from the bench.
In a short period, Wouter Vrancken brought those players together and produced an excellent performance as his side won their Conference League match in Austria.
McInnes commended his former club’s players for their determination and willingness to battle, seemingly implying that his current squad showed little of either quality. That raises the question of why such traits are missing.
For long stretches of the play-off, Rangers struggled to complete more than four or five consecutive passes. Their pressing was carried out by isolated individuals or was entirely absent.
They looked like a group of strangers rather than a settled side, with little organisation or evidence of a coherent plan from the touchline.
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