Derek McInnes dropped a big clue on what’s set to unfold in his Rangers midfield in the coming weeks and months.
Many fans will be concerned, while others will be encouraged at what it means for the front line.
In the aftermath of Sunday’s win over Aberdeen, McInnes was speaking about the performance and what he wants to see from his men.
He was directly addressing Minsu Kim‘s Rangers debut, with the Korean putting in a very encouraging display on a poor surface.
One comment in particular about the midfield spoke volumes about how McInnes sees the game, and what may unfold beyond the transfer window.
McInnes comments on Rangers midfield
Derek McInnes was talking up the importance of Minsu Kim going forward, especially for Lawrence Shankland.
“His confidence and speed running around Shankland is vitally important for Lawrence.
“I’ve worked with Lawrence for a long time and he needs that speed, invention and creativity. It’s a quality we’ve been searching for and looking for for a long time now, and you can see the difference it makes to the team. There was a different dynamic.
“We don’t need to be brilliant through the middle of the park, and we don’t need to ask too much of our defenders if you give them the job to keep the ball out of the net and defend properly.
“The onus is on the speed and creativity to bring moments, and I thought they all did that. I thought Gassama was first class.
“He’s capable of such a big reach. I thought Findlay Curtis gave us good moments in the game as well. I think it was a great debut for Minsu, considering he only trained once yesterday.”
What a McInnes Rangers team look like
From the quote in bold, that’s a direct insight to Derek McInnes’ thnking.
It sounds like he isn’t overly concerned with controlling games, or having Rangers dominating in familiar patterns.
He wants his big players to produce the goods and against Aberdeen, it was Kim and Gassama in particular who made things happen.
McInnes praised Shankland and will be happy to have witnessed his well-taken penalty to win the game, but Rangers need far more up top.
It’s why Chermiti is such a loss and why Kevin Kelsy has been courted.
Derek McInnes wants the speed and quality in his team to carry Rangers, but what gives?
Neil and Devlin underwhelm
Today’s midfield two of Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin did not impress. Yes, they worked hard, but their application and impact left a lot to be desired.
Quite simply, Rangers need much better in the middle of the pitch. Quality to control the tempo, to stop teams playing through and to play through the lines when required.
On that basis, the comments above from Derek McInnes are concerning.
It will be very interesting to see what happens if and when Nico Raskin leaves in the coming days.
McInnes said no bids have yet been received, but there are question marks about whether he will be replaced.
The manager needs wins to get through to the international break, to allow the time for the finalised squad to grow.
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