Phil Bardsley has backed Derek McInnes to restore a competitive edge at Rangers, insisting the new manager understands what it takes to succeed at Ibrox after the club's struggles since Steven Gerrard's departure.
Bardsley's own Rangers loan in 2006 lasted just seven games before he was sent back to Manchester United by Paul Le Guen following a training-ground tackle on Thomas Buffel. The former Scotland defender admits he overstepped the mark but believes Le Guen's man-management was lacking.
"Looking back, I was young, probably a little bit naive," Bardsley told Record Sport. "I found out I wasn't in the starting line-up for a European game against Livorno. So I ended up overstepping the mark a little bit in a tackle on Thomas Buffel. It was nothing malicious. It was just me being young, hot-headed, wanting to prove myself."
Le Guen's Failure to Connect
Bardsley, now retired after a Premier League career with Sunderland, Stoke and Burnley, said Le Guen never understood Rangers' culture. "I'm not sure Le Guen ever really understood what Rangers is about. Managers like Walter Smith or Alex McLeish, they want that competitive edge day in, day out. But coaches coming from a different country, they see it a little bit different."
The Frenchman's 31-game stint ended in disaster, with Fernando Ricksen sent home from a pre-season tour and Barry Ferguson stripped of the captaincy. Bardsley added: "He wasn't very warm. I've found that with a lot of foreign managers, the man-management element's not particularly great. I was basically frozen out at the end."
McInnes: The Right Man for Ibrox
Bardsley is confident McInnes will avoid such pitfalls. "I'm a big fan of Derek's and I think he has that understanding of what is required at a club like Rangers. What he did at Hearts last year was incredible and shows the ability he has when it comes to forging team spirit."
McInnes has already strengthened the spine of the team with signings including Lawrence Shankland, Ben Godfrey, Dan Neil, Ross McCrorie, Cammy Devlin and goalkeeper Ivor Pandur. Bardsley said: "You can have all the flair players you want but if you've not got guys who graft and are willing to put their body on the line, then it's no good."
Building a Title Challenge
The former defender pointed to successful teams like Chelsea with Carvalho and Terry, and Manchester United with Keane and Scholes. "These successful teams made sure they got foundations right through the middle of the pitch with people they knew were going to deliver week in, week out."
Bardsley added: "You need a centre forward who's going to guarantee you 15, 20, 25 goals a season. That's what gives you that chance of being successful." He believes McInnes can bring stability after a "bit of a mess" since Gerrard left. "Hopefully Derek going in will bring that stability, and I think you'll be seeing Rangers really challenging this year."
