No Rangers crisis despite 'embarrassing' exit, says Shankland

Captain Lawrence Shankland insists the Rangers players must take responsibility for the "sickening" and "embarrassing" European exit - but denied the club are in crisis. Rangers are out of Europe before the league phase after defeat in the Europa League qualifiers to Jagiellonia Bialystok was followed by a shootout loss to Jablonec in the Conference League play-offs. Since leaving Hearts to take charge at Ibrox in June, Derek McInnes has won just two of his first seven games in all competitions and his side already trail Premiership leaders Celtic by five points. Speaking after Thursday's night's defeat in the Czech Republic, Shankland said: "There's not been too many times in my career where I've had to apologise to our travelling support, but tonight it's certainly one for the team to give them that apology. "It's obviously been a difficult start to the season and ultimately going out of Europe, it doesn't get much lower than this. "It's sickening, to be honest, and we need to take responsibility for that as players. "Obviously we're trying to learn as we go. When results aren't coming, sometimes you can get away with it, and you get results along the way, but that's not happened for us. "We're getting punished on all fronts, so it is difficult, but we need to keep working hard at it. "I wouldn't say crisis, but it is obviously a concern. We know that as a team, and for this club to not be in European football, it's an embarrassing moment for us as a team and in that changing room. "You can't hide behind it, there's nothing to hide behind. The proof is there, it's just not good enough." Shankland started on the bench in both games against Jablonec and the striker's dream move to the club he supports has not gone as planned. He admits the European exit is one of the lowest points of his career, while there is no escape from the scrutiny as a Rangers player. "Everybody's trying to do well, but right now it's not happening, myself included," he added. "It's just not been at the level required for the start of the season and we're trying to find that form individually and collectively. "It's difficult, you're judged on everything you do and of course I would have loved to have come here and had a better start, but it's not been the case so far. "I don't lose belief in what we're doing. Right now it's a horrific feeling, it's a bad moment, but we're going to need to move on at some point. We've got a league campaign to go into."