Derek McInnes could still be labelled ‘dud’ as Rangers developments play out at Ibrox
Derek McInnes was linked with the Rangers job in the wake of Russell Martin’s departure, but the Scot is now under pressure to back up Hearts’ great start to the season.
Rangers sacked Martin at the start of October, with the following two weeks seeing several replacements discussed at Ibrox.
Kevin Muscat was among those who looked likeliest to take the job, after Steven Gerrard had turned down a return.
McInnes also turned down the Rangers job, having only joined Hearts in May of this year.
Eventually, Rangers hired Danny Rohl, with the German enjoying an up and down start to his tenure at Ibrox.
Derek McInnes under pressure amid ‘head start’
Rangers’ title hopes could be hanging by a thread should they fail to beat Dundee on Sunday, with the Gers already facing a massive 14-point deficit to Scottish Premiership leaders, Hearts.
Martin had won just one of his seven league games in charge at Ibrox, already leaving Rohl with a mountain to climb.
| Rangers – League fixtures | Date |
| Dundee (A) | 9 Nov |
| Livingston (H) | 22 Nov |
| Falkirk (H) | 30 Nov |
| Dundee United (A) | 3 Dec |
| Kilmarnock (A) | 6 Dec |
But the German instantly got his side back to winning ways, recording consecutive wins against Kilmarnock and Hibernian.
The last two games have seen Rangers lose to Celtic and Roma in cup competitions, however.
It could be Hearts boss McInnes who finds himself under even more pressure, though, with Hugh Keevins writing in the Sunday Mail that the Scot could be branded a “managerial dud”, should his side not finish above Rangers.
“If Derek McInnes can’t get Hearts to finish above Rangers in the final league table of the season, he will need to be reclassified as a managerial dud,” the journalist wrote.
“With a head start of 14 points and a quarter of the season already gone? Rangers in a state of complete and utter disarray on and off the park? The very real threat of further turmoil to come at Ibrox as the mood gets uglier by the day?
“A state of calamity declared on the back of an Old Firm defeat, as well as the creation of a European record of historical infamy? What more could you possibly want, or need, at a time when your own side is carrying all before them?”
- Read more: Gary Keown could not believe what he saw after Celtic win vs ‘abysmal’ Rangers – ‘Shame on them’
McInnes dismissed any talk of Rangers job
McInnes was asked about links to the Rangers job after decision-makers at Ibrox had reportedly tested the waters earlier in the season again.
“I think any time a manager’s team is doing well, and the team is doing well, there’s always sometimes people talking you up and maybe some speculation from that,” he said.
“The flip side of that as a manager is you’re normally batting off questions about your job when things aren’t going well.”
The Hearts manager will be glad to see that speculation put to an end, allowing his focus to return to his team.
As McInnes said himself, however, questions surrounding a manager’s future are never far away.
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