Emmanuel Fernandez has found himself under scrutiny from sections of the Rangers support this season.
But the centre-back's performance against Jablonec on Thursday night provides plenty of factual evidence to consider when assessing his contribution to Derek McInnes' side.
Fernandez was involved in a Rangers defence that kept its first competitive clean sheet since the 1-0 win away to St Mirren on March 15.
The single goal victory over Jablonec also gave ten-man Rangers a slender advantage in their Conference League play-off, despite Cameron Devlin being sent off in the second half.
And one of the more interesting aspects of Fernandez's performance was his battle with Lamin Jawo.
Manny Fernandez v Jablonec
— John Walker (@johnwalker_1986) August 21, 2026
A rash yellow card on the 11th minute seemed to be the only blip in an otherwise good night:
• 16 Defensive Contributions - MOST
• 13 Clearances - MOST
• 4 Tackles & 1 Last Man Tackle
• 5/8 Duels Won
Gets criticised a lot for taking too long,… pic.twitter.com/hP4Q21YRfv
Fernandez display against Jablonec
The Jablonec forward was repeatedly involved in physical contests with the Rangers defence, while Fernandez picked up a yellow card in the 11th minute following a foul. Yet the defensive numbers from the game were notable.
According to the statistics shared by analyst John Walker on X, Fernandez recorded 16 defensive contributions, the most of any player, as well as 13 clearances, four tackles, one last-man tackle and five successful duels from eight.
Sofascore's match data also recorded Fernandez with nine clearances, three interceptions and three tackles.
Second season blues for Fernandez
The defender was a revelation after breaking into the first team following Danny Rohl's arrival at Ibrox last season. Rohl replaced Russell Martin in October and Fernandez became an increasingly important part of the Rangers side during the German's tenure.
Rohl subsequently left Rangers this summer to take charge of RB Salzburg, with Derek McInnes appointed as his replacement.
Fernandez is therefore now operating under a different manager and within a different defensive structure.
Makeshift backline
Walker noted that Fernandez has already played in more than 19 different defensive-line combinations since his arrival from Peterborough last summer, while his partnership with new signing Olwethu Makhanya is still developing.
The Jablonec match was the latest example of that pairing being asked to work together, and the result was Rangers' first clean sheet in 13 competitive matches.
Fernandez has also been a significant contributor defensively over a longer period. FotMob's Premiership data for last season had him leading Rangers for defensive contributions per 90 minutes, with 10.8.
That does not mean there are no areas of his game that can be questioned.
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Criticism has been directed towards Fernandez's speed of play, concentration and his work without possession. Those aspects cannot simply be dismissed because of a strong defensive statistical performance against the Czechs.
But the numbers from Thursday provide a clear counterpoint to any assessment that overlooks his defensive contribution.
Fernandez was heavily involved in Rangers' work without the ball, won the majority of his recorded duels, made the most defensive contributions according to Walker's figures and played his part in a clean sheet against a physical Jablonec attack.
However, whether that is the beginning of a sustained improvement under McInnes remains to be seen.
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