Rangers began the Derek McInnes era with a 1-1 draw against Dundee United in the opening game of the 2026-2027 Scottish Premiership season. Despite a stunning second-half equalizer from Thelo Aasgaard, the result extends a four-season streak of Rangers failing to win their opening league match.
The debut for manager Derek McInnes was a tale of two halves at Tannadice Park. After a sluggish start that saw the visitors fall behind, Rangers managed to claw back a point in a match that described Sky Sports as an underwhelming start to the new managerial regime.
Tannadice Stalemate: Aasgaard’s Recovery Act
Rangers struggled for composure early on, with the Dundee United front three frequently penetrating the back line. The hosts capitalized in the 38th minute when Jesse Randall provided a low cross that was left by Sapsford, allowing Lachlan Rose to apply the finishing touch from close range. While Rangers had created chances—including a clever flick from captain Lawrence Shankland that was parried behind by goalkeeper Jack Walton in the 4th minute—they remained unable to find a breakthrough before the break. Other early threats included a header from Ryan Naderi in the 29th minute that was tipped wide by Walton, a deflected shot from Agyei in the 31st minute, and a low, left-footed shot from right-back Sterling in the 35th minute.
The momentum shifted after halftime. Following two blocked efforts from Youssef Chermiti in the 49th minute, Thelo Aasgaard leveled the score in the 56th minute, cleverly shifting the ball onto his left foot inside the area and hammering a shot into the left corner. The match remained stretched until the end, nearly ending in a defeat for Rangers when Randall was clean through on goal in the 84th minute but sent the ball straight into Ivor Pandur’s arms instead of lobbing it over the keeper.
I thought we worked hard for our point, but we didn't do enough to win the game. Disappointed with a lot of the first half.
— Derek McInnes, Rangers Manager
Tactical Critiques and the “Compact” Debate
The result has drawn mixed reactions from former Rangers players, highlighting a divide between those calling for patience and those spotting systemic flaws. Steven Thompson, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, argued that there is no need to panic, stating, It's not the result Rangers wanted, but it is a point away from home at a difficult venue.
Thompson added, At this point in the season, there's no knee-jerk [reaction] or anything here,
and noted that there will be time to judge McInnes once he gets the players he wants and once he gets more work done on the training ground.
However, other analysts were less forgiving. Andy Halliday criticized the team’s structural discipline on Sportsound, stating, No matter how many defenders you play with, the main fundamental is being compact, and I thought Rangers were the furthest thing from compact.
Halliday further observed that all the best individuals, other than Thelo Aasgaard, were Dundee United players,
concluding that while Rangers are a work in progress, it certainly wasn't the start they were looking for.
This assessment aligns with McInnes’ own post-match reflections, where he admitted there were too many spaces and that his players needed to show more composure. The manager conceded that while the team dug themselves out of a hole, they failed to “crank it up” sufficiently after the equalizer to secure a victory.
New-Look Squad: Debuts and Personnel Shifts
The match served as a first competitive glimpse of a restructured squad. Several new arrivals were integrated immediately, though their impact varied. Debuts from the start were handed to centre-back Ben Godfrey, goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, and the former Hearts duo of Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin.
While Shankland’s leadership as the new captain was evident, the defensive chemistry between the Atalanta loan-signing Godfrey and Emmanuel Fernandez appeared shaky during the first half. Summer additions Dan Neil and Ross McCrorie also featured as substitutes, with McInnes confirming that further additions to the squad are expected in the coming weeks.
This competitive debut follows a pre-season 2025 friendly against St Etienne at Ibrox, where McInnes secured a win via spot-kicks from Lawrence Shankland and Thelo Aasgaard. In that match, 17 players featured. Ivor Pandur showed encouraging indicators by tipping a Jakob Breum effort wide, while Ross McCrorie struggled in the opening 45 minutes, appearing exposed against French forwards. Emmanuel Fernandez provided his trademark sweeping balls, and Tuur Rommens suffered an uncharacteristic lapse in possession that led to a St Etienne equaliser. Midfielder Tochi Chukwuani, operating in the position typically filled by Nico Raskin, endured a challenging afternoon as the opposition dominated the middle of the park. Dan Neil, taking over dead-ball responsibilities following James Tavernier’s exit, provided an incisive ball in the closing stages.
The lack of an opening-day win is a recurring psychological hurdle for the club. Kris Boyd noted to Sky Sports that Rangers didn't deserve to win
and that they were far better in the second half. He warned that because it has been the last four seasons in a row that Rangers have failed to win on the opening day,
it just starts to breed that negativity
among the fans, who were in full voice until Dundee United scored.
For McInnes, the immediate priority is training ground work and finalizing the roster. As he noted, no player is perfect at this stage of the season, and the focus now shifts to improving decision-making and defensive compactness before the next fixture.
Worth a look
