Derek McInnes Turns Rangers’ Rocky Start Into Old Firm Statement
From crisis talk to derby dominance
Derek McInnes reaches 100 days as Rangers manager with the mood at Ibrox transformed. A sluggish opening, an early Europa League exit and home defeats had prompted jeers and raised questions about the direction of the club. September, however, brought a six-game winning run and two victories over Celtic.
June appointment, immediate pressure
McInnes was appointed on 17 June, succeeding Danny Rohl, after his Heart of Midlothian side had narrowly missed out on the title to Celtic. The former Rangers player returned to the club he grew up supporting after previously declining the chance to manage it.
“There is a lot of hard work ahead,” McInnes said on taking the job. That prediction quickly proved accurate as Rangers drew 1-1 at Dundee United, lost 2-1 to Jagiellonia Białystok in Europe and suffered a 2-1 home defeat by Hibernian. The Hibernian loss also brought a serious injury to Youseff Chermiti, damaging the club’s hopes of securing a major transfer fee for the striker.
European disappointment deepens the gloom
Rangers were unable to recover in the Europa League qualifiers. After the defeat in Poland, McInnes said his side had “beat ourselves” by making mistakes for both goals. The return leg ended in a draw, allowing Jagiellonia to progress.
The club’s European campaign ended altogether against Jablonec. A 1-0 defeat and penalty shoot-out loss, with Findlay Curtis and James Penrice missing from the spot, meant Rangers failed to qualify for European football proper for the first time in a decade.
“I’m embarrassed with the performance,” McInnes said afterwards, while praising the supporters for continuing to back the team.
A first league win and a decisive September
The turnaround began with a 5-1 Premier Sports Cup victory over St Mirren, Rangers’ first win of the McInnes era. A penalty from Lawrence Shankland then secured a league victory at Aberdeen, McInnes’ former club, before Rangers edged Falkirk 2-1.
The Falkirk result came at a cost: Shankland suffered a hamstring injury against Motherwell that is expected to keep him out for months. Ryan Naderi scored the winning goal in his place, and Bojan Miovski later struck in stoppage time to beat St Mirren and extend the winning run.
Two wins over Celtic change the narrative
McInnes’ biggest success came in the space of a week. Rangers defeated Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup, with Dan Neill scoring twice and Kevin Kelsy adding another goal, before Naderi scored the only goal at Celtic Park in the league.
The second victory moved Rangers to within two points of their Glasgow rivals. McInnes acknowledged that the result was “just three points”, but said it brought his side closer to Celtic and reflected a team in which he was increasingly willing to invest his reputation.
Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson said the club had shown an important response since the European exit. “They found a way to win, and that’s so important,” he said, while noting that a major squad overhaul meant some players needed time to settle.
McInnes now enters the international break with momentum, a strengthened connection with the supporters and evidence that his rebuilt Rangers side can deliver in the biggest matches. The early problems have not disappeared, but two Old Firm wins have given his first 100 days a very different ending from the one that seemed likely in August.