Super Eagles: Two areas Emmanuel Fernandez must improve to regain Rangers trust

Emmanuel Fernandez has endured a difficult start to the season at Rangers, but the Super Eagles defender has two important areas to improve if he is to regain the trust he earned during his impressive debut campaign, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigerian centre-back was one of Rangers’ standout performers last season, becoming a regular under former manager Danny Röhl and winning the club’s Player of the Year award.

Fernandez’s performances also earned him a place in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year and helped him break into the Super Eagles setup, making his development at Ibrox increasingly important for Nigeria.

However, the 25-year-old has struggled to reproduce those standards since the beginning of the new campaign, with criticism following several of his performances under new manager Derek McInnes.

Butcher’s warning highlights the need for consistency

His difficult start has now attracted attention beyond Rangers, with former Ipswich Town and England defender Terry Butcher offering a defence of Fernandez while also identifying what the Nigerian must do to return to his best.

“It will be a big test of character for Manny, because he’ll now understand a little bit more of what’s expected of him at Rangers,” Butcher said in quotes revealed by The National Scot.

After winning Rangers’ Player of the Year award last season, the Nigerian has established a standard that he is now expected to reproduce.

His to demonstrate that he can maintain the same form all over again. Butcher made that point.

“But you’ve got to carry that all through the season. So he’s got another eight, nine months that he’s got to hit those standards,” he added.

His recent performances do not erase what he achieved last season, but they have created a gap between the level Rangers know he can reach and what he has delivered so far.

Jawo’s verdict on Emmanuel Fernandez

Fernandez’s second challenge is making his physical qualities count more consistently.

Jablonec striker Lamin Jawo offered a blunt assessment after their Conference League meeting.

“I know Fernandez is a strong and good player who has quality,” Jawo said.

“But I have played against the strongest defenders in the Czech Republic, so this was not that big of a difference for me.”

Jawo went further, describing their physical battle as “50/50” and suggesting he may have won more aerial duels.

That criticism is relevant because Fernandez’s 6ft 4in frame is one of his biggest defensive weapons.

Yet, the statistics from the game offered a more balanced picture. Fernandez recorded 13 clearances, four tackles and five successful duels from eight attempts as Rangers secured a clean sheet, even after being reduced to 10 men.

The issue is not whether Fernandez possesses the physical tools. It is whether he can impose them on opponents consistently enough. Butcher believes he can.

“I’m sure he will get better. He’s got the attributes and it’s just the players around him that he needs possibly help from, some support,” he said.

Fernandez must adapt to McInnes’ demands

The change in management has added another layer to Fernandez’s struggles.

He flourished under Röhl last season, but McInnes has inherited a defender whose confidence and consistency are being questioned at precisely the point when competition for places is increasing.

Butcher believes the new Rangers manager can play an important role in Fernandez’s recovery.

“He’s got a good manager who is top when it comes to one-on-one leadership and man management, so I wouldn’t have any worries about that. It will happen,” the 67-year-old added.

That places responsibility on both sides. McInnes must help Fernandez understand his demands, but the Nigerian must respond by becoming more consistent, more decisive and more imposing in his duels.

For the Super Eagles, Fernandez’s recovery would be significant. Nigeria needs defenders capable of handling pressure, and a return to the level that made him Rangers’ Player of the Year would strengthen Eric Chelle’s options.