Ross McCrorie, who was thrown into the deep end during Rangers' chaotic period under Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty, sees a path back to success under new boss Derek McInnes. The 28-year-old, who returned to Ibrox this summer, draws parallels between McInnes's arrival and the rebuilding job Steven Gerrard did after the club's lowest point in 2018.
From Nadir to Hope
McCrorie was only 19 when he was blooded into the first team by Caixinha, whose seven-month tenure was marked by bombast but no success. Murty's second caretaker stint followed, and it was during this period that Rangers hit rock bottom, conceding nine goals across two weekends in April 2018 to Celtic, who were en route to a second of four straight Trebles. McCrorie was sent off in the 4-0 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat at Hampden.
That nadir prompted the club to turn to Gerrard, who began the long process of building a title-winning team. Now, McCrorie hopes McInnes can do the same. "Yeah it was tough back then," he said. "And I’ve come back to a difficult time as well! When I first came through, it was difficult, but then I've had Stevie G at the time, and that's when I've seen a whole lot of change."
Setting Standards
McCrorie, who has also played for Barnsley and Aberdeen, is confident in McInnes's methods. "I know the standards that he's set. Now obviously with the gaffer coming in, he's set standards straight away since day dot, since he came in. That's what we're striving for. We set them standards and we're hoping to implement that on the pitch." He added: "But we need to cut out the daft mistakes that are killing us. That's something we're looking to rectify come Sunday against Hibs."
The early signs have been underwhelming, with a 1-1 draw at Dundee United on the Premiership opening night and a 2-1 first-leg defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League qualifier, where individual errors proved costly. But McCrorie has no doubts about McInnes's credentials. "The gaffer's come in, I know how the gaffer works. The gaffer's a real good manager. He's a top manager, and I think he speaks for himself, but he's had an amazing managerial career."
Memories and Motivation
McCrorie also recalled a memorable incident from May 2019, when he had to go in goal for the final minutes against Hibs after Allan McGregor was sent off. He managed to keep a clean sheet, albeit for only three minutes. "We spoke about it the other day! Greegs had a swipe at Marc McNulty," he said with a grin. "I just remember Daniel Candeias came over to me, then the gaffer spoke to me. He called me Our Kid at the time. He goes, ‘Your brother’s a goalie, so I'll just stick you in!’ He thought I had the skills as well - but I had to tell you what, I’m not a goalie! I got a clean sheet right enough, even if it was only three minutes!"
Now 28, McCrorie feels ready for the responsibility. "I came back here because I felt ready to take on more responsibility as a player. And I want to come back and try and make a successful Rangers team. The gaffer's top. That's one of the big reasons why I came here, why a lot of the boys came here, because we all believe in what we're doing here, and we want to make it successful."
Pressure and Expectations
With two games into the season and pressure already mounting, McCrorie embraces the challenge. "That's exactly why I joined, because I want big games every week. And I think a lot of the boys will agree. All the boys in there, that's why we joined this club, because every game is massive. The demand to win in every game, the pressure… That’s why boys want to come here. Because once you get it rocking, it's one of the best clubs in the world to play for."
He remains unfazed by criticism. "As a professional footballer, you take the criticism with a pinch of salt. You don't really look online at that. A lot of us have played hundreds and hundreds of games, so it's part and parcel of football. Criticism is not going to affect us. For us, we know how good we are as a team in there. We know what we've got to do this season, and it's all about sticking to that. It's still early doors in the season, but we need to get that momentum, and that's what we're looking for."
