Derek McInnes has been sent a stark ultimatum before he has even taken his first training session at Rangers.
McInnes was confirmed as the 22nd Rangers manager on Wednesday evening, succeeding Danny Rohl, who departed for Red Bull Salzburg in a £2million deal.
The incoming boss arrives with goodwill from the fanbase, a deep understanding of Scottish football, and a reputation rebuilt impressively at Hearts last season.
However, goodwill only lasts so long at Ibrox, and Tom English, who took a swipe at Andrew Cavenagh following Rohl’s exit, has wasted no time in spelling out exactly what will be required of the new man in the dugout.
The BBC Scotland journalist’s assessment is unsparing, drawing on the recent history of managers who have come and gone at Rangers without delivering the one thing the support demands above all else.
What would your concerns be about Derek McInnes replacing Danny Rohl?
English sends McInnes sack warning as title ultimatum issued
Writing on BBC Sport following McInnes’ appointment, English framed the challenge facing the new Rangers manager in brutally honest terms, reminding readers of the fate that has befallen his predecessors and the unforgiving nature of the environment the Scot is walking into.
He acknowledged McInnes’ qualities as a communicator and a man-manager, but was clear that persuasion alone will not be enough at a club consumed by what he described as “angry desperation” for silverware.
English traced the recent pattern – Philippe Clement delivered second place and was shown the door, Rohl pushed the Gers into a title race before collapsing spectacularly and has now followed him out – to underline that the margins for error at Ibrox are vanishingly thin.
English’s conclusion was unambiguous, nailing down that the league title is a requirement and not a target.
He wrote: “Rangers are now McInnes‘ train set, but with power comes pressure and responsibility. Nothing but a Premiership title will do next season.
“Danny Rohl had a crack at it and failed, and there are no laments for him among the supporters, not after Rangers finished third in the league last season.
“Philippe Clement got them to second, and they couldn’t wait to see the back of the Belgian.
“McInnes is a persuasive man but he, more than anybody, knows that talk is cheap at Ibrox these days.
“There’s an angry desperation for titles, a weariness at being off the pace. The league has to be won, and no amount of rationalisation, however valid, will protect McInnes if it’s not.”
Andrew Cavenagh seems to be working overtime!
This is great news for Rangers… 💪
What it means for Rangers
English’s warning is not pessimism; it is realism.
McInnes inherits a squad that has already been partially refreshed, a chairman who has shown he is willing to back his manager, and a fanbase desperate to believe again.
The foundation is there, although the pressure is immense, and as English makes clear, there will be no hiding place if the title does not return to Ibrox next May.
