Gordon Strachan is convinced Derek McInnes has the toughness to succeed as Rangers manager because he refuses to be bullied. The former Celtic boss believes the 55-year-old's spiky character will win over the Ibrox dressing room ahead of a pivotal derby double-header.
Difficult start and a big rebuild
McInnes endured a nightmare start at Rangers, with his new-look side dumped out of Europa and Conference League qualifying rounds by Jagiellonia Białystok and Jablonec. The Light Blues have since rebounded with four consecutive Premiership victories ahead of their two clashes with Martin O'Neill's men.
Strachan, who spent four years in charge across the city, reckons McInnes's character will stand him in good stead despite a mammoth summer of recruitment. Speaking to Midnite as part of its 'Built Different Index' launch, Strachan said: "First of all, every week you have to perform as a player and a manager to keep up to the standards of what is expected of you at Rangers. I don’t care who you are, I think it’s about 14 signings now. It’s not easy. When he was at Hearts, they still had a ‘rooted’ team that was in there - [Cammy] Devlin, [Lawrence] Shankland, the centre-backs, the right-back. You could go out and play with them as only a couple would change."
Character under scrutiny
"But this is a huge change. Also, the scrutiny you come under here is a wee bit different! With Derek’s background and the character-building moments he’s had in his career, it won’t be easy for him just now but somehow he can deal with it. He’s a bit spiky, which I like, especially with the questions going at him. I kind of like that. I also think the players like that as well, that their manager isn’t being bullied."
Strachan added: "I hope he does reasonably well there, Derek, for obvious reasons! And I hope that the two sides, and every side in Scotland, can improve this year so that we have a better product going around the world visually, but also for next year so that we’re ready for Europe."
Financial disparity and a two-tier league
Strachan believes the financial gap facing Scottish teams is magnified by the free-spending of clubs in English football's second tier. He said: "You have to remember that when Celtic went to Seville [in 2003], they had the fifth-highest wage bill in British football. Now they can’t compete with Birmingham, or even Burnley."
"Rangers were up there as well, they had a huge wage bill! In the 1980s when [Graeme] Souness was there, they were as big as anybody in Britain. Wages are way down now. Birmingham spend fortunes on players, and give them fortunes of wages. We can’t do it, it’s a different world we’re dealing with now."
Strachan, who has worked as a technical director for Dundee over the past seven years, believes a two-tiered system now operates in Scottish football's top flight. The 69-year-old sees last year's top three as untouchable, with the rest facing a yearly risk of relegation if they make the wrong calls on and off the pitch.
He said: "They’re like most of us - it’s taking that bit of time, three or four players who can pull you through the transitional periods such as goalscorers or goalkeepers, saving you from losing points. Dundee would be the same, Motherwell, Kilmarnock…we can’t give long-term or big contracts because of the relegation, which affects all of us with just 12 teams in the league. Rangers, Celtic and Hearts aren’t getting relegated, so it leaves nine of us."
