Derek McInnes Backs Lawrence Shankland at Rangers
Derek McInnes is backing Lawrence Shankland to become a decisive figure at Rangers – whether he starts games or not.
The Rangers manager, who worked with Shankland at Hearts, brushed aside any early scrutiny of the striker’s return of one goal in five appearances since his move to Ibrox, insisting the 31-year-old is simply too good not to catch fire.
McInnes calm over Shankland start
Shankland, club captain, began Sunday’s 5-1 League Cup win over St Mirren on the bench as Ryan Naderi led the line and Nico Raskin wore the armband. Naderi justified that call by opening the scoring as Rangers claimed their first victory of the season.
McInnes, though, sees no reason to panic over his captain’s numbers.
“When you have a player like Lawrence, who knows his way around the penalty box and how to score goals, I do not worry too much about it,” he said.
“Sometimes people can over emphasise these things. For me, it is a case of letting him play his natural game.
“The best strikers have that instinctive side to their game, where everything looks natural and seamless. I have no doubt he will do well here.”
Shankland hit 22 goals for Hearts last season under McInnes, and the manager is leaning on that history as proof the forward will come good again in Glasgow.
Captaincy no guarantee of a start
McInnes made it clear from the outset that the armband would not protect Shankland from competition.
“I said that when I spoke to Lawrence,” he explained. “Being captain does not guarantee anything, and he accepted that. He is not going to stamp his feet about it.
“Having worked with Lawrence before, he is a brilliant captain and a brilliant boy. You want your captain to have a big influence on and off the pitch, and I believe Lawrence will have that.”
For now, that influence may come in different forms – leadership in the dressing room, pressure on places, and the knowledge that a proven finisher is waiting if chances fall his way.
Raskin praised amid transfer noise
While Shankland’s role is under the microscope, Raskin’s future is the subject of constant speculation. The Belgium midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away, yet McInnes insists his application has not dipped.
“Every player's got a price,” McInnes said of the 25-year-old. “Every player has got a time where it maybe suits them to move on, suits the club or whatever.
“But I think it's important for me to say that Nico's been a dream since we came in, in terms of how he's set about his work, and he doesn't look like a boy who's distracted in any way with that.
“I've no doubt there's a lot of stuff going on in the background with him. I just need to play it by ear really to be honest. I'm enjoying working with him.”
While the noise grows outside, McInnes is leaning on Raskin’s professionalism inside the building, trusting him to anchor the midfield as Rangers try to find their rhythm.
Jablonec test looms in Europe
Attention now swings to Europe. Rangers host Jablonec at Ibrox on Thursday in the first leg of a Conference League play-off, with McInnes reluctant to declare clear favourites.
The Czech side arrive in Glasgow on a six-game winning streak, a run that has sharpened Rangers’ focus.
“It's just a game that we put the emphasis on ourselves to go and win,” McInnes said.
“They're clearly a well-organised team. They've got a few good individuals who can make the game a bit more problematic for you, but we feel as though we've got a good handle on what they are.
“They can change from shape to shape a lot even within the same personnel so we've got to be ready for that.
“I'm just really trying to concentrate on us finding our level and us getting big performances. If we can do that then, although I'm expecting a tough game, I expect it to be tougher for them.”
A captain fighting to ignite, a midfielder playing through uncertainty, and a European tie that could set the tone for the season: Rangers step into Thursday night knowing the margin for error is shrinking fast.
