Rangers star says defensive problems can be solved after difficult start

Rangers midfielder Alan Neil has insisted the club’s defensive issues are “not unfixable” despite another frustrating result that extended the team’s winless start to the season.

The Ibrox side were knocked out after a 1-1 home draw left them beaten 3-2 on aggregate. Rangers had gone into the second leg trailing 2-1 from the first match in Poland, but hopes were revived in the 19th minute when captain Lawrence Shankland converted a penalty to level the tie overall.

For long spells of the first half, Rangers looked sharper and more aggressive, feeding off the energy of the home support and appearing capable of turning the contest in their favour. But the momentum disappeared after the break, and the familiar weakness that has dogged them early in this campaign surfaced again.

Nik Prelec struck for the visitors in the 65th minute, finishing off a rapid counter-attack to earn a 1-1 draw on the night and seal progression for his side. The goal proved especially painful for Rangers given how often similar situations have exposed them in recent matches.

The result means Derek McInnes is still searching for his first win after four games in charge since arriving in the summer. Supporters voiced their frustration at full-time, with boos ringing around Ibrox as concerns over the team’s organisation and vulnerability in transition continued to grow.

Neil, the 24-year-old midfielder who joined from Sunderland, admitted the squad is still adjusting to changes under the new manager, but he believes the problems are correctable rather than systemic.

He said the dressing room had been confident before kick-off and felt the team showed enough in the opening 45 minutes to suggest a turnaround was possible. Rangers, he explained, were determined to raise the tempo early, bring the crowd into the game and build momentum, and for a while they managed exactly that.

However, he acknowledged that the team failed to sustain that level after half-time. Allowing another goal from a counter-attack, he suggested, highlighted the same weakness that has repeatedly hurt Rangers in recent weeks.

Neil pointed to a combination of fresh signings, tactical adjustments and altered formations as possible reasons for the lack of defensive cohesion. Still, he stressed that the squad must confront the issue directly rather than search for excuses.

In his view, Rangers need to study those moments carefully, take responsibility and improve their reactions when possession breaks down. At a venue like Ibrox, he noted, many opponents are likely to sit deep, defend in numbers and wait for openings on the break. That makes transition defending a non-negotiable part of the team’s setup.

His message was clear: Rangers cannot afford to remain naive when games open up. If they are to stabilise their season, they must become more disciplined and more prepared for the way opponents intend to hurt them.

There is little time to recover, with Rangers returning to action against St Mirren at Ibrox in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday. After a tense atmosphere at full-time in midweek, another difficult performance would likely increase the pressure on both the manager and his players.

Neil said the squad fully understands the standards demanded at Rangers. When results are poor, he admitted, a negative reaction from the stands is part of playing for a club with such high expectations. The responsibility, he said, is on the players to change that mood through performances and victories.

He also spoke about the upside of succeeding at Ibrox, saying those around the club have told him there are few better environments in football when Rangers are winning regularly. For him, that should serve as daily motivation as the squad works to reverse its poor start.

With a European play-off against Czech side Jablonec now next on the continental schedule, Rangers still have opportunities to reset the narrative. But if they are to do so, Neil’s assessment will need to prove accurate: the defensive flaws may not be unfixable, but they will need fixing quickly.