Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez says he is ignoring outside criticism and concentrating on improving his performances as he adapts to the demands of the 2026-27 season.
The Super Eagles defender has acknowledged a difficult start to the campaign, including Rangers’ failure to qualify for European competition, but believes the squad is becoming more united and defensively dependable.
Fernandez told The Scottish Sun that conversations with manager Derek McInnes have focused on maintaining concentration throughout matches and cutting out the small mistakes that can create opportunities for opponents.
“I don’t really look into what is said about me. I just try to focus on myself and try to improve to be better”, the Nigerian defender said, via The Scottish Sun.
“Every day I want to be better, and I know when something I’ve done is bad, and I know that I need to improve on it. But I’m still growing as a player, and it’s something I know I will improve on eventually. I just focus on the demands of the club and myself as well.
“Maybe it’s just concentration in moments. Like, if we do have a chat, it’s concentration in moments and the small things. Sometimes they’re the ones that could cause a goal to come against us, or an attack to come against us. It’s about limiting opportunities for teams to have attacks against us. That’s the main thing we talk about.”
Rangers’ early struggles have placed pressure on the team, but Fernandez says the group has continued to develop despite performances not improving significantly since the Aberdeen game.
He believes McInnes has helped the squad move beyond the disappointment of missing out on Europe by reminding the players that three trophies remain available to them.
“I feel like the togetherness is getting better. And I feel like, as a team, maybe our performances haven’t been better from the Aberdeen game, but we’ve grown as a team. We’re growing, and I still think there’s more to come. Look, obviously we had a bad start not being in Europe. It was difficult. The manager spoke to us and showed us that there’s still three trophies that are available to win.
“We have a domestic charge that we can still push for and be confident where we have the possibility of doing something great. And I feel like him showing us that, and showing us how we need to get the fans behind us and everyone behind us, that’s the positivity he has brought.
“Within the team, the togetherness and the leaders within the group is something the manager has brought”, the Super Eagles defender concluded.
Fernandez said his priority is to meet the standards expected by both Rangers and himself, rather than respond to public discussion about his form.
The defender also stressed that eliminating individual errors and improving concentration at key moments would be central to limiting opposition attacks as Rangers pursue domestic success.