Derek McInnes is under no illusions about where Rangers currently stand — but the 55-year-old is not about to blink. Speaking after his side's Conference League play-off exit on penalties to Czech outfit Jablonec, the Rangers manager acknowledged the club are nowhere near the standard he expects, yet insists his belief in his own ability to fix it remains absolute.

"I like to think I know what I'm doing as a manager, I'm a good manager, I back myself," McInnes told Sky Sports. "But at the minute, none of us are doing our job well enough."

The numbers make for uncomfortable reading at Ibrox. Two wins, two draws and three defeats sum up McInnes's start in the dugout. Domestically, Rangers have managed just one point from their opening two Scottish Premiership matches and now face a trip to Aberdeen on Sunday — a ground where McInnes spent some of his finest years as a manager, which adds its own awkward subplot.

Identity crisis on the pitch

What appears to trouble McInnes most is not the results themselves but the absence of a clear playing identity. After Thursday's defeat, he was candid about his side's inability to commit to any recognisable style — neither possession-based, counter-attacking nor direct.

"My teams have always had some sort of identity," said the former Aberdeen, Hearts, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone boss. "I want us to try and be a team that puts more stress on teams defensively and I don't think that we are at the minute."

He is particularly keen to implement a high press but accepts the group is not yet equipped to execute it with the consistency and physicality that approach demands. "When you go full press and you're aggressive, you've got to be really aggressive with that and you've got to pick up second balls and win duels," he said. "There's talented players here — you don't get in the door at Rangers unless you're a talented player."

Window activity key to the rebuild

Twelve players have already arrived this summer and McInnes expects a couple more additions before the transfer window shuts next week, with one or two departures also anticipated. The injury to Youssef Chermiti has left a notable gap up front — McInnes describing the striker as the type to "stretch teams" — and recruiting in that area appears to be a priority.

"There's a lot of uncertainty at the minute," McInnes conceded. "Once the window closes, everything becomes a bit calmer."

He is also wary of demanding perfection from a squad that is still finding its shape. "I don't expect us to be perfect at this stage," he said. "It's not been the start we wanted. I'm not the first Rangers manager to get off to a tough start."

Cup run offers brief respite

There is at least one positive on the horizon. Rangers have progressed in the League Cup and will host Celtic in the quarter-finals next month, a fixture that will command enormous attention and one McInnes will view as an early opportunity to shift the mood at Ibrox.

The noises out of the manager, then, are those of a man who sees the problems clearly but refuses to accept they are permanent. Whether the squad he eventually assembles after the window closes can back that conviction with results is the question that will define his reign — and the Aberdeen trip on Sunday is the first chance to start answering it.

Frequently asked

How has Derek McInnes started as Rangers manager?
McInnes has recorded two wins, two draws and three defeats in his opening matches, with just one point from Rangers' first two Scottish Premiership games and an early exit from European competition.
Are Rangers still in the League Cup?
Yes. Rangers have progressed through the League Cup and are set to host Celtic in the quarter-finals next month.
When does the transfer window close and how many signings have Rangers made?
The transfer window closes next week. Rangers have already brought in twelve players this summer, with McInnes hoping to add a couple more before the deadline while expecting one or two departures.