Derek McInnes has finally taken the reins at Rangers, almost a decade after turning down the opportunity. The 54-year-old admitted he feared his chance to manage the club he supported as a boy had passed him by.
McInnes Reflects on 2017 Rejection
In 2017, McInnes was poised to leave Aberdeen for Rangers but pulled out after talks with then-chairman Dave King. He said: "I feel as though I was ready for it back then, but it was just a different set of circumstances. There was a lot going on at that time. I was leaving a really secure club in Aberdeen... it was a different ownership, a different set of circumstances, a different feeling."
Speaking to Rangers TV, he confessed: "Possibly, yeah. It's natural to think that. I am fortunate to be asked again, there's no two ways about it."
Actions Over Words at Ibrox
McInnes made it clear that his tenure would be defined by results, not rhetoric. "The time for talking at Ibrox is over. Now only action will suffice," he stated. He acknowledged that many managers before him had failed to deliver, with only Steven Gerrard winning a title in 2021.
He replaces Danny Rohl, who was dismissed despite a strong title challenge that ultimately crumbled. McInnes inherits a squad that finished third behind Celtic and Hearts, and he knows the stakes: "If we don't win trophies, there'll be somebody else sitting here before too long."
Vision for Rangers: Winning Mentality
When asked about his playing philosophy, McInnes avoided grand pronouncements. "Just a team playing to win, believing they can win, going the full way to win, never giving it up," he said. "I'm not going to talk about philosophies. I know how I want my team to play."
He emphasised the need to restore a fear factor at Ibrox: "I don't want teams to come here and feel comfortable... We've got to make teams suffer."
Building a Winning Squad
McInnes stressed the importance of recruitment and player mentality. "I want the players to feel that when you sign for Rangers, it's incumbent on them to be successful," he said. "There's got to be a part that we all sign up here is to win trophies and be successful."
Working with CEO Jim Gillespie and chairman Andrew Cavenagh, he is confident in finding the right characters. "Last season was disappointing for the club, and something similar isn't going to get the job done, so there's work to be done," he concluded.
