Derek McInnes criticised the prolonged three-week international break even as his Rangers side moved to the top of the Premiership with a 2-0 win. First-half goals from Ryan Naderi and Kevin Kelsey secured a sixth straight league victory, but the manager said the break had taken a toll on his players.
Rangers leapfrog Celtic
The win lifted Rangers above Celtic to the summit for the first time since April, when Danny Rohl was in charge. Celtic can reclaim top spot with a win at Motherwell at Fir Park. McInnes said he was pleased with the result but admitted the performance had been disjointed.
“I'm really pleased we've won the game. I think, first and foremost, our job here is to win games of football. The fact that we went top of the league, we shouldn't lose sight of that,” he said.
Break 'far too long'
McInnes was unhappy that 13 players had been away on international duty, arguing the break was too long. “We pay their wages, we look after our players, and for them to be away for nearly three weeks is too long. I think at times it shortens the performance,” he said.
He credited his players for digging deep to earn the three points but said the team looked like one that had not been together for three weeks. He also praised Naderi and Kelsey for their contributions.
Selection concerns
McInnes said he would need to consider the demands of international duty when selecting future teams. He admitted he was reluctant to make too many changes and felt the second half showed signs of mental fatigue.
“I felt that the second half was far from where we needed to be,” he said. “I don't think it was tactically the end of the day that we lost a wee bit of control, I just think it was a wee bit of mental fatigue.”
He added that having a home game after the break was a positive, saying, “I think it's a good thing that we've come back off a three-week international break and had a home game. So I think we'll be grateful for that.”
