Rangers' Fernandez Under Fire: Super Eagles Defender Responds to Season Criticism

Super Eagles and Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez has found himself under intense scrutiny at the start of the 2026/27 season, drawing comparisons to the criticism previously faced by former Ibrox striker Cyriel Dessers. This comes after an outstanding debut season where Fernandez was named Rangers' Player of the Season and earned a place in the Scottish PFA Team of the Year. However, his performance in the current campaign has been less convincing, marked by mistakes and lapses in concentration, particularly following Rangers' disappointing European qualifying campaign which saw them eliminated and miss out on continental football for the first time since 2017.

Fernandez, a 25-year-old former Peterborough defender, has openly addressed the criticism, stating that he does not allow it to distract him. Instead, his priority is to focus on improving his performances and meeting the demanding standards of playing for Rangers. He told The Scottish Sun, “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. 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.” He acknowledges that some of the concerns are legitimate, pointing to concentration in key moments as an area he and his teammates must improve, recognizing that small errors can be costly defensively. He emphasizes that the solution lies in limiting opponents' opportunities for attacks.

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has also publicly challenged his players this season, calling for greater “focus and concentration and application” and reminding them of the need to work harder to reach their best level, echoing the sentiments expressed by Fernandez.

The level of scrutiny on Fernandez bears significant similarities to that endured by Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers during his time at Ibrox. Dessers often faced criticism from Rangers supporters despite producing strong goal numbers, with missed chances and inconsistent performances frequently overshadowing his goals. Former Rangers assistant coach Neil McCann noted that Dessers would always divide opinion due to his tendency to miss easy chances while scoring difficult ones, though he praised the striker's persistence. Other figures like former manager Barry Ferguson and Philippe Clement also defended Dessers, with Clement famously stating that Dessers was “abused like nobody else in the club,” attributing some of the criticism to the team's inability to win the league.

However, there's a key distinction: while Dessers' critics focused on finishing, Fernandez's scrutiny centers on defensive errors, concentration, and decision-making. Crucially, Fernandez has not shied away from these shortcomings. His proactive approach involves acknowledging his need to improve and dedicating himself to correcting these issues on the pitch. This response is vital as Rangers aim to recover from their poor start. The Scottish giants have recently secured three consecutive league victories, with Fernandez and Olwethu Makhanya contributing to two clean sheets in those games, signaling a positive shift.

Fernandez believes that the team's togetherness is improving under McInnes, stating, “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.” Despite the setback of not qualifying for Europe, he remains optimistic about the season's prospects. He highlighted that the manager reminded the squad that “there’s still three trophies that are available to win” domestically, indicating confidence in their ability to achieve something great. For Emmanuel Fernandez, rediscovering his Player of the Year form on the pitch is the ultimate response to his critics, aiming to prove that the initial scrutiny, much like Dessers' experience, was not entirely justified.