Emmanuel Fernandez: Super Eagles defender hit with fresh criticism in Rangers win over Jablonec

Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez has been hit with fresh criticism following Rangers’ narrow 1-0 victory over Jablonec in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie, Soccernet.ng reports.

Fernandez started at the heart of the Rangers defence at Ibrox on Thursday as Ryan Naderi’s second-half goal handed Derek McInnes’ side a slender advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in the Czech Republic.

However, the Nigerian defender endured another difficult evening, picking up a yellow card in the 11th minute after a foul on Jablonec striker Lamin Jawo.

Jawo, who spent much of the game battling Fernandez physically, has now offered a blunt assessment of the Rangers defender, insisting he did not find the Super Eagles star particularly difficult to handle.

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Jawo delivers blunt verdict on Emmanuel Fernandez

Speaking after the game, Jawo acknowledged Fernandez’s qualities but played down the difficulty of facing the 25-year-old.

“I know Fernandez is a strong and good player who has quality,” the Jablonec striker said in quotes revealed by the Herald.

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

“I think it was 50/50 with him. It was not that difficult and maybe I won more aerial duels than him.”

Jawo also insisted that Jablonec remain confident of overturning the first-leg deficit when Rangers travel to the Czech Republic for the return fixture.

“I can say that we are a little disappointed because we expected to get at least a draw. But I think we played a good game; we were very organised,” the Gambian continued.

“We knew that Rangers are not just any team. We played a good game in Glasgow and we believe that we can do it at home. We feel that we still have a chance.

“I know that if I play well, keep the ball and help the team, we can play more attacking football. For me, the most important thing now is the team performance.

“Absolutely. I believe we can do it at home. We have everything to play for. We are strong at home. We know that Rangers are a very good side, but we are also stronger at home.

“We have to keep our heads up and fix it at home. Next week will be important for us and we'll just focus on the rematch with Rangers.”

Fernandez faces another week of scrutiny

The latest comments add to a growing list of criticism surrounding Fernandez after a difficult start to the season.

The defender was previously questioned following Rangers’ 2-1 defeat to Jagiellonia Białystok in the Europa League qualifiers, while former Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands also singled him out after the 5-1 Scottish League Cup victory over St Mirren.

Lovenkrands described Fernandez as vulnerable during that match, pointing to his “sloppy play”, booking and the penalty he conceded.

The former Peterborough defender has now faced scrutiny in three successive weeks, despite Rangers securing positive results in two of those matches.

The latest criticism is particularly notable given the defender’s display at Ibrox last season, when his performances earned him Rangers’ Player of the Year award.

For now, McInnes continues to trust Fernandez in central defence, with Ben Godfrey unavailable and Olwethu Makhanya still working his way into the team.

Rangers will take their 1-0 advantage into the second leg against Jablonec next week, with Fernandez expected to be central to their efforts to secure a place in the next round.