After more than 800 matches in management, Derek McInnes knows better than most how quickly football fortunes—and the pressure that comes with them—can change.
His opening months in charge of Rangers have offered a particularly vivid example.
Just weeks ago, McInnes was at the helm for one of the club’s most embarrassing European results in recent memory, as Rangers were eliminated from the UEFA Conference League by Jablonec.
McInnes described the result as mortifying. On his return from the Czech Republic, he took Rangers to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen, with a section of the support already questioning whether he was the right man for the job.
At the same time, some pundits were predicting a procession for Celtic, arguing that the lack of a serious challenge meant they would cruise to the league title.
Instead, Rangers’ 1-0 win at Aberdeen launched a run of five consecutive victories. The latest came last weekend, when McInnes’s side defeated Celtic and sent them out of the Premier Sports Cup.
Derek McInnes admits Rangers are only “one bad result away” from another backlash
The mood has shifted dramatically across the city. Martin O’Neill is now the manager under the greatest strain, with Celtic’s defeat by Rangers followed by Thursday night’s dismal 3-1 Europa League loss to Ferencvaros.
Another defeat to Rangers tomorrow could see Celtic supporters openly demand O’Neill’s dismissal.
That would be a remarkable situation, particularly because Celtic will remain top of the league regardless of what happens at Parkhead. Yet McInnes is determined not to let Rangers’ emphatic 3-0 victory over their rivals last weekend breed complacency.
Nor will Celtic’s latest poor European showing persuade him that Sunday’s contest will be straightforward.
Any Rangers player expecting a routine afternoon—despite Celtic’s lack of confidence and cohesion—will quickly be reminded that derby matches rarely follow the form book.
McInnes will instead demand another performance at the highest level as Rangers attempt to cut Celtic’s lead to two points and maintain their momentum.
Asked whether Rangers must maintain their intensity, McInnes said: ‘Yeah, I think you’re constantly aware of that.
‘At a club like Rangers, you’re only one bad result away from getting a belt in the mouth again. You’ve got to try and keep those to a minimum as much as you can.
‘We’ve worked hard to get to where we are at the minute, in terms of confidence and feeling good about ourselves.
‘Equally, you’ve got to remind yourself it wasn’t so long ago that we were in a tough spot and we need to constantly keep our shoulder to the wheel and keep working hard for those improvements.
Rangers celebrate their victory over Celtic and a place in the cup semi-finals
‘Nobody is baw-headed enough to get carried away with themselves. We had a big result last week and a big performance. But we want to try and deliver that again on Sunday. I don’t think we can win the game without that. We’ve got to take that on, that responsibility, as a squad.
‘Don’t think that we can just turn up and everything’s going to become easy for you. You’ve got to work for everything you get.’
McInnes was clear. There can be no let-up. Even the merest hint of complacency will be killed off at source.
The ramifications of defeat would be stark. Rangers would head into the international break eight points behind Celtic in the title race.
Even though Celtic are deeply flawed to the extent that no lead would ever feel big enough, eight points in September is a big margin to claw back.
McInnes knows the landscape well enough to understand that one dominant afternoon means little if the follow-up is half-hearted.
This is not a free hit and nor is it a gimme. It is the chance to press home the advantage while the opposition are still reeling.
McInnes has spoken about identity. Last week’s performance looked like the beginnings of one.
Rangers were aggressive, intense, and delivered a performance which was by far and away their best of the McInnes era. But it is only an identity if it is applied consistently.
In midweek, there was a picture doing the rounds on social media of several members of the Rangers squad out enjoying a coffee together.
Several Rangers players were spotted enjoying a coffee together earlier in this week
The old maxim about a team who drinks together, wins together, may not apply in the most literal sense in this day and age, but the sentiment remains.
‘My son had told me about it [the picture],’ said McInnes. ‘I spoke to Nico [Raskin] the next day and he said that the boys were out. It’s a couple of times now they’ve done that.
‘I just like my players to be around each other. I don’t really care what they’re doing, to be honest.
‘I want them to be in in the morning, can’t wait to get to work, be around each other and never be in a rush to leave as well.
‘The longer they can be around each other, the better, to be honest. I think a team spirit and togetherness helps you in difficult times, more than when things are going well.
‘When you’ve got so many new signings, so many players new to Glasgow and the surroundings, it’s good that they look out for each other.
‘I think it’s important that we do that on and off the pitch.’
Although Ryan Naderi is an injury doubt, McInnes was asked whether he will deploy the same tactics and 4-4-2 system as last week.
‘Just because you win the game doesn’t mean you got the tactics right and equally, when you lose a game, it doesn’t mean you got them wrong,’ he said.
‘I think sometimes tactics can get a wee bit overplayed. I do think you normally win games down to the individual moments and the performance of players being really strong.
Just last month, McInnes was under pressure after overseeing a dismal European exit
‘We look to do something similar in terms of our approach. We want to make sure the aggression is there, the confidence is there to play, the energy that we displayed last week.
‘These are all the things that are more important than tactics. Hopefully, the players go into the game and onto the pitch with that message loud and clear that a big performance is required.
‘You don’t win at Celtic Park unless everybody plays well. We’ve got to try and bring something similar and look for those improvements again.’
The confidence and spirit in this Rangers squad would be elevated further still if they can take three points from Parkhead tomorrow.
One statement victory is a start. Two in a week would begin to shift the balance of power in a way that cannot be dismissed as a one-off.
Celtic are still the side with more points on the board and a greater margin for error. But they are also the side that looked punch-drunk last Sunday, and again on Thursday night.
Rangers cannot afford to give them time to recover their senses.
