McInnes on Rangers' woe: We're not as bad as people think

Derek McInnes believes Rangers "aren't as bad as people think" despite his winless start to life at Ibrox. <p>McInnes suffered a damaging home debut as Rangers boss with a <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/rangers-vs-hibernian/live/558344">2-1 Scottish Premiership defeat to Hibernian</a>, with star striker Youssef Chermiti carried off the pitch on a stretcher.</p><p>With Celtic and St Mirren both on six points from two Premiership games, Rangers are five points behind and already chasing, with McInnes looking for his first win after three matches in the Ibrox hot seat.</p><p>"We're not as bad as some people will be saying at the minute," McInnes told <em>Sky Sports</em>.</p><p>"And I think it's important that we just batten down the hatches, stay strong, stay together.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/rangers-vs-hibernian/live/558344">As it happened</a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/rangers-vs-hibernian/teams/558344">Teams</a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/rangers-vs-hibernian/stats/558344">Stats</a></strong></li><li><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/SPFLHLsREPORTS"><strong>Watch FREE Scottish Prem highlights</strong></a> | <a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/SPFLblogReports"><strong>Latest Scottish Prem news</strong></a></li><li><strong>Not got Sky? <a href="https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?dcmp=Ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink" target="_blank">Latest Sky Sports deals</a> or <a href="http://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">stream the Scottish Premier with no contract</a></strong></li></ul><p>"We try, as a club, to come out of this window strong and we will.</p><p>"At the minute, we're trying to manage the situation. Some players are not quite as fit but we need to get them playing to get them fit.</p><p>"Obviously, Youssef's injury is far from ideal today but we're trying to integrate and try to get a team who can find a kind of rhythm and a connection that allows us to win games while we're trying to do that.</p><p>"We're not at the start we wanted but we still plan to get the finish and the outcome that we want and we'll work towards that."</p><widget id="3"></widget><p>Hibs took the lead in the 11th minute with a Josh Campbell penalty after VAR had flagged up Vanja Dragojevic, making his first Gers start after signing from Partizan Belgrade, had fouled visiting defender Jason Kerr in the area. It was the away team's first shot of the game.</p><p>"I think it was a wrong decision that made us go behind in the first place," added McInnes.</p><p>"I thought there was a lot of decent stuff in the first half but it was all a bit slow and a bit pedestrian at times.</p><p>"Obviously, Hibs are a team who came off it, their shape that they played allowed us to play in front of them at some times and we had to fight hard for the space.</p><p>"I still thought we had some good moments. Obviously, there's a blow to Youssef going off which is far from ideal, particularly for him and us and there's a little adjustment there.</p><p>"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.</p><p>"I don't think the referee should be brought over.</p><p>"So, we've got it all to do and obviously, we've put ourselves in a position to try and dig ourselves out of it.</p><p>"I thought we were the team that was always looking more likely to score. In the last part of the game, the last 25 minutes or so, I thought the subs helped.</p><p>"We were by far the dominant team. I thought we were the better team and sometimes, in fact, we don't always get what we deserve but nobody will tell me any differently.</p><p>"We were the better team. We weren't great but we were better than Hibs and I think it was harsh on my players to be on the losing side.</p><p>"But we keep going. I was delighted with the effort of the players, delighted with how they kept going to try and get a win. That's how we want to play and I didn't see that second goal coming.</p><p>"I do think both goals are really harsh on us. As I say, the penalty, slight deflection, it takes it past Ivor for their winning goal and sometimes it's like that and you just need to dig deep and go again.</p><p>"A tough way to lose it."</p><h3>'Chermiti left in a boot and brace'</h3><p>There was more woe before the break for McInnes when Chermiti, subject to a failed bid by Galatasaray for a reported club record fee of £22m, had to go off after picking up an injury.</p><p>It is understood Ibrox chiefs want to keep the 22-year-old striker at the club this summer, and value him higher than the club-record fee they received for Calvin Bassey, who joined Ajax for an initial £19.6m in 2023.</p><p>Chermiti - who moved to Glasgow last summer in a deal worth up to £10m - scored 15 goals and provided five assists across all competitions last season.</p><p>McInnes said: "I think the fact that the club rejected such a big number would suggest how important he is to us, so we're delighted from that side of it.</p> <widget id="2"></widget><p>"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.</p><p>"Hopefully he's been lucky because we could certainly do a bit of that.</p><p>"Obviously he's a big part for us going forward and hopefully we get a positive scan."</p> <widget id="1"></widget>