Derek McInnes has always been a manager who protects his players in public, and usually that is a strength. But his defence of Emmanuel Fernandez after the 2-2 draw at Hearts carries a risk, because it ties the manager’s judgement to a player whose recent displays some have branded woeful.
Fernandez made high-profile errors at Tynecastle, and Kris Boyd was among those who felt he struggled badly. McInnes answered by pointing out that he only gets asked about the Nigeria defender after a poor game. He called the result a collective failing and highlighted a strong showing against St Johnstone only days earlier. There is a fair argument in that. Fernandez has started every match this season, and Rangers have kept more clean sheets than anyone in the league. Singling out one man after a team performance is rarely the whole story.
The trouble is the context. McInnes arrived this summer to rebuild a club that has been through plenty of upheaval, and the start was rough, with an early European exit that left him embarrassed. That makes every selection decision more visible. If he sticks with Fernandez in a League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen and another mistake costs a goal, the criticism will land on the manager as much as the player. Backing someone publicly means owning what happens next.
McInnes also knows the other side of this. He has said he has to weigh decisions across a heavy schedule, which suggests rotation is possible. Dropping Fernandez would hand his critics a story, though, and keeping him is a gamble.
Either way, Saturday matters. Rangers are favourites, and a place in the final is on the line. If the back line holds, McInnes looks vindicated. If it doesn’t, the questions about loyalty versus form will be hard to avoid.
