'We're not as bad as people think' - Derek McInnes defends Rangers squad after damaging Hibernian defeat

Rangers are already trailing their rivals early in the Scottish Premiership campaign, but McInnes has urged calm. Following a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox, McInnes spoke to Sky Sports to defend his squad's overall performance. The result leaves Rangers five points behind Celtic and St Mirren, who have both collected six points from their opening two matches.

Despite remaining winless after three games in charge, McInnes remains optimistic about the project at Ibrox. Addressing the mounting pressure, McInnes stated: "We're not as bad as some people will be saying at the minute. And I think it's important that we just batten down the hatches, stay strong, stay together."

The match took a frustrating turn for Rangers when Hibernian were awarded a penalty, which Josh Campbell converted in the 11th minute. The spot-kick was given after a VAR review determined that Vanja Dragojevic fouled Jason Kerr. McInnes strongly disagreed with the officiating, feeling his players deserved much more from the contest.

Expressing his frustration with the critical decision, McInnes argued: "I think it was a wrong decision that made us go behind in the first place. I do think the penalty came out of the blue really. I hadn't seen it at the time and I've seen it since and I don't think it's a penalty kick. I don't think the referee should be brought over."

Compounding the misery for Rangers was a serious injury to Youssef Chermiti before half-time. The striker recently attracted a rejected £22 million bid from Galatasaray, with Rangers valuing him higher than the £19.6m received for Calvin Bassey in 2023. Chermiti is crucial to the plans at Ibrox after scoring 15 goals last season.

McInnes provided a worrying update on his physical condition, explaining the immediate steps being taken by the medical staff. Discussing the setback, McInnes confirmed: "He'll get a scan tomorrow. He'll leave here today in a boot and a brace. It's a knee injury of some sort but I think it would be silly to speculate anything until we get the scan results tomorrow."

Rangers will now await the crucial scan results for Chermiti while attempting to regroup quickly. McInnes must find a way to secure his first competitive victory to stop Celtic from extending their early advantage. The squad will need to show resilience and improved attacking chemistry as they prepare for their upcoming domestic cup and league fixtures.