Rangers manager Derek McInnes delivered a frank assessment of his side's European credentials after their 3-2 aggregate defeat to Poland's Jagiellonia Bialystok, admitting the club is simply "not ready" for Europa League football.

Having lost the first leg of their third-round qualifying tie 2-1 on the road, Rangers could only manage a 1-1 draw at Ibrox Stadium on Thursday, crashing out of UEFA's second-tier competition. Lawrence Shankland's first-half penalty — his first goal for the club since following McInnes from Hearts — gave the home side hope, but a towering header from Nik Prelec after the break sealed Rangers' fate.

Boos rang around Ibrox at the final whistle, with McInnes already under pressure after failing to win any of his first four competitive matches in charge (D2 L2). The former Hearts boss conceded that the furious reaction of the home fans was "justified," with Rangers now guaranteed to endure a season without Europa League group-stage football for the first time since 2017-18.

'The club is built for the Champions League and Europa League'

McInnes did not shy away from the scale of the problem facing him at Ibrox, telling reporters:

"It is not great to watch. My team went from some good highs in the first half to being as poor as we were in the second half, and you have to say we didn't do enough."

"The club is built for the Champions League and Europa League, but I don't think the team is ready for it, and it pains me to say that. We need to get more quality; we need to get more confidence into the team."

He added: "That is the job I came into Rangers to do. With Rangers finishing third last season, what was served up wasn't good enough. We have to get things moving in the right way quickly."

Despite the disappointment, McInnes was unequivocal about the expectation that Rangers should have progressed past the Polish outfit.

"We should be winning this game. Jagiellonia are a decent team with some good players and I think they're well coached, but Rangers, at their best, should be winning this."

Conference League consolation

Conference League football is now the best Rangers can hope for in Europe this term, and McInnes admitted they do not deserve anything more. If Rangers are to have any European football beyond the end of August, they must beat Czech side Jablonec in the Conference League play-offs.

Quick turnaround ahead

Rangers face a swift turnaround as they prepare to host St. Mirren in a League Cup second-round tie on Sunday, before the two sides meet again in the Premiership six days later. With the Glasgow giants still searching for their first win of the campaign, McInnes will be desperate to get things moving in the right direction quickly.