Charlie Mulgrew has warned Celtic that Rangers will be a different animal under Derek McInnes. Hearts boss McInnes is set to take over the reins at Ibrox after Danny Rohl sealed his move to RB Salzburg. Gers chiefs moved swiftly to appoint the SPFL managerial veteran, who came within minutes of leading the Jambos to an historic title triumph last season.
McInnes Returns to Rangers
Lifelong Rangers fan McInnes, who was also part of the club's legendary nine-in-a-row winning team, will pen a three-year deal. The 54-year-old follows his trusted skipper Lawrence Shankland down the M8, reuniting at Ibrox.
Mulgrew's Verdict
Ex-Hoops star Mulgrew reckons the experienced gaffer can stop the rot in Govan after watching their Old Firm rivals dominate for the last 15 years. Speaking to BOYLE Sports, Mulgrew said: "Again, time will tell. Derek McInnes has done really well. He's proven in management in Scotland. He knows the game inside out. He knows how to get results."
"He's been at Aberdeen and Hearts. Now he's going to Rangers again, he's been at Rangers so he understands the club. He lives in the area. He feels what Glasgow needs, what the intensity is here, and that is to win every week. So he'll understand what he has to do."
"He showed at Hearts last year in terms of winning games and being consistent considering the budget they had. So now he goes to Rangers and yeah, he's somebody that I think will have Rangers winning games consistently, which I think will be a big threat next year to Celtic."
"I think with him and Lawrence Shankland missing out on the title last year, they'll be so determined to get that title next year. So they're going to be a huge threat. I think it's going to be difficult for Celtic next year."
"But listen, Martin has the winning mentality as well, Celtic can spend a bit of money and get some players in because other players are going to be going. So I think they'll bring players in and bring that freshness."
Hearts' Future
The departures of boss McInnes and captain Shankland to Rangers come as a major blow to Hearts, who finished runners-up last season. Mulgrew is intrigued to see how the ambitious Tynecastle club with the backing of shareholder Tony Bloom responds.
He said: "Hearts are fascinating because they've got this new structure in place with Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics, and I think that they've got aspirations to be up there challenging for the title in the next five to ten years."
"So the first year they had a right go and surprised everybody, but next year it's all about going again. Now I just wonder if they lose a couple of their first games or they drop points early, and Celtic and Rangers all of a sudden take a wee bit of a lead, how they're going to react to that."
"There's a lot to be done there. Their main striker and captain left, their manager's away. They're going to need to replace them, but they've proved it right and they do that quite regularly. So it's a real interesting one for Hearts next year. I think a lot of people are looking on to see if they can respond."
