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Rangers manager Derek McInnes has defended Emmanuel Fernandez, stating that the centre-back has played a major role in the team’s strong performances this season. The 25-year-old Nigeria international faced criticism following high-profile errors, including during a 2-2 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle in the Scottish Premiership.
Defending Fernandez Ahead of Semi-Final
Despite recent scrutiny, Fernandez has started every match for Rangers, a squad that has recorded the highest number of clean sheets in the league so far this campaign. Speaking to BBC Sport before Saturday’s League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, McInnes addressed the criticism surrounding the defender.
“I only get asked about Fernandez when he has a poor game. Nobody asked me about Fernandez on Saturday, he was outstanding on Saturday [against St Johnstone],” McInnes told BBC Sport. “Last night wasn’t on Manny Fernandez, last night was a collective. I never get asked about Manny when he does really well and he’s been a big part of our better performances this season.”
Chasing Silverware at Hampden
Rangers travel to Hampden Park on Saturday to face Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, giving McInnes an opportunity to overcome his former club. Rangers have secured three trophies since 2012 and finished the past two seasons without silverware. McInnes, who assumed control in June, is tasked with reversing that record, having already eliminated Celtic with a 3-0 victory at Ibrox in the quarter-finals.
“To get the first trophy would be so important, reinforcing confidence, reinforcing belief,” the Rangers manager said to BBC Sport. “Traditionally, semi-finals can be fraught with a lot of nerves and tension and sometimes they’re not the best games, because of what’s at stake.”
Wary of Aberdeen’s Threat
Aberdeen enter the fixture in poor form, having lost three of their past four league matches, which includes a 1-0 home loss to Falkirk on Wednesday. That run places Rangers as strong favourites to advance to the December final against either Hearts or Hibernian. However, opposing manager Stephen Robinson won the trophy last season while leading St Mirren, leaving McInnes cautious about the challenge.
“They’ve got a good, experienced manager in Robbo (Stephen Robinson) and they’ve got some good players, experienced players in Aberdeen and they’ll be relishing the opportunity as well,” McInnes added to BBC Sport. “People might view us as favourites for it and I understand that but we’ve still got a game to win and Aberdeen are capable of a big performance. I’m just concentrating on us, if we get to our levels then hopefully it’s going to be enough to win the game but a strong 90-minute performance is going to be required, I feel.”
While aiming to defeat Robinson’s side, McInnes acknowledged that he feels sympathy for his counterpart amid mounting pressure. Having previously managed Aberdeen for eight years, alongside spells at St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, McInnes noted that he understands the demands of managing the club and expects Aberdeen to approach the national stadium with full confidence.
