Derek McInnes goes easy on Rangers players and admits he was seduced as no VAR check rankles

The home side led 3-0 at half time but made very heavy weather of things in the second half. Two goals from Ryan Naderi bookended a deflected strike from attacking partner Kevin Kelsy.

Kilmarnock scored a late consolation through substitute Nicky Clescenco and passed up several other chances to score.

McInnes had decided against, in his words, “dicking about with the team too much”. He selected the same XI that had secured successive Old Firm wins prior to the international break.

The Ibrox manager repeated his complaints about the length of the international window, which saw European international teams play as many as four games.

Thirteen Rangers players in total were away on international duty, eight of whom featured from the start against Kilmarnock. Dujon Sterling was replaced at half-time by Vanja Dragojevic after suffering tonsillitis earlier in the week.

“We have to be honest, we looked like a team who had not been together for the last three weeks,” McInnes said, with reference to the second half.

“I reminded the players, we are top of the league and there should be 50,000 in here absolutely bouncing at full time. We spoke about it at half time, the need to stay on top of the game.

“Maybe it was a combination of things, including not putting enough freshness into the team. I was reluctant to change it too much, albeit I had to change Dujon at half time. He was feeling a bit under the weather.

“I was reluctant to make to too many changes. But I felt the second half was far from where we needed to be. But listen, we got the job done. There is a bit of understanding from me where the players have been. This break has been far too long.

“They have come up with this idea. It is such a long time for players to be away. We pay their wages, they are our players. For them to be away for three weeks is too long. And at times it showed in their performance. Credit to the players for digging deep and getting the three points.

“I don’t think it was tactical today that we lost a bit of control,” he added. “I just think it was a bit of mental fatigue. There were hints of it in the first half and it certainly looked that way in the second half.”

McInnes said it was something he was going to think about in the future. “I was convinced, seduced maybe, that everyone was fine and good to go,” he said. “But with hindsight I think there was a lot of mental fatigue in the performance.”

Neil McCann, the Kilmarnock manager, took very few positives from his side 'winning' 1-0 in the second half.

“I am, I am really frustrated, a wee bit angry as well,” he said. “We gifted Rangers the 3-0. I have a problem with the second goal, I think there was a handball involved in that. I do not even understand the handball any more. And the fact is there is not even a VAR check apparently.

“For the third goal I didn’t see it as anywhere near a handball but they had a wee look for two minutes. So that is a sore one to take. Even at 2-0 we had two gilt-edged opportunities and we don’t hit the target.

“The international break has hurt us a wee bit, maybe I can give them an out for starting the first half slowly,” he added. “But I am not giving them too many excuses because the second half performance shows me what they are capable of.

“There are few things to look at. Yes there are some positives. Bottom line is we should not be giving teams a start like that. I don’t want to be a ‘well done team’ for the second half.”