James Tavernier is set to have a new manager at Rangers, with Derek McInnes unveiled at Ibrox and saying he wants to win the Scottish Premiership as quickly as possible. The 54-year-old arrives with immediate pressure attached, after Rangers have won one title in 15 years.
Ibrox and McInnes
McInnes said the time is right for him to take over at Ibrox and that he is ready to get going. He called it a special moment and added that he feels as though he belongs at Rangers.
That belief runs straight into the job he has inherited. Rangers are McInnes' 22nd permanent manager, and the club has appointed seven managers in eight years, a turnover rate that leaves little room for a long settling-in period.
Rangers' title demand
McInnes did not soften the target. “We want to try and deliver a team that meets the demand here. I feel as though the Rangers fans - we've won one title in 15 years - they've suffered for a long time and it's up to us to try now and play a key role in driving the standards and get a winning Rangers team on the pitch more often than not,” he said.
He also pointed to the scale of the rebuild. “I’ve got an idea of what my Rangers team needs to look like and hopefully it's something similar to what the Rangers fans want as well,” McInnes said, before adding that the work for next season is already under way in recruiting players.
July 31 at Dundee United
The first league test comes on July 31 against Dundee United. McInnes will go into that match after replacing Danny Röhl, who departed last week to join RB Salzburg, and after spending last season within minutes of guiding Hearts to the Premiership title.
He was blunt about the standard he is stepping into. “It does take more than just being a good player to play for Rangers and deal with what's expected. There has to be a lot more under the bonnet and to deal with that expectation and I feel that part of my job and the staff's job is to try and make the most of the current squad but also add players that can help us be successful,” he said.
McInnes also framed the risk in the job as plainly as the ambition. “I'm not kidded, I know if we don't win trophies it'll be somebody else sitting here before too long,” he said. For Rangers, the message is direct: this is not a transition appointment, and James Tavernier and the rest of the squad are being asked to deliver quickly.
