---
title: "Dan Neil “more time” factor details issue that McInnes must fix"
canonical: "https://readrangers.com/2026/10/31/dan-neil-more-time-factor-details-issue-that-mcinnes-must-fix"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Graeme Hanna"
section: "Rangers News"
published: "2026-10-31T12:29:16Z"
modified: "2026-10-31T12:29:16Z"
---

# Dan Neil “more time” factor details issue that McInnes must fix

**In his preview of Saturday’s Premier Sports semi-final against Aberdeen, Rangers’ Dan Neil reflected on the midweek performance against Hearts which yielded a draw.**

In the circumstances, a point was acceptable but the performance wasn’t.

Hearts ran most of the game, even if they didn’t do enough with the ball or punish Rangers, as [reflected in the stats](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/matches/rangers-vs-heart-midlothian/2svtlk#5793961:tab=stats).

Having taken the lead, the Gers should have capitalised, but they shrunk. The first half was a scrappy affair, leading to Hearts equalising then securing a second. Only a late rally saved the day for the visitors.

We can’t have the same at Hampden for [Rangers vs Aberdeen](https://readrangers.com/2026/10/30/how-to-watch-rangers-aberdeen-tv-kick-off-team-news).

The urgency, purpose, and aggression needs to be much better. The team can’t have 5/6 players off form, like in Gorgie.

However, Neil’s remarks underline a crucial issue that Derek McInnes needs to fix.

This is a young team that is still working toward consistency and maintaining standards, but sometimes they can be caught between a fast, direct style and playing through the thirds.

[Press Conference | Dan Neil | 30 Oct 2026 (embedded)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1xQN2ll6XLo?feature=oembed)

## More time on the ball than we thought – Dan Neil

This was apparent when [Neil spoke ahead of his first outing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xQN2ll6XLo) at the national stadium.

“The game on Wednesday night, I thought the performance wasn’t perfect, he said.

“The first half wasn’t good enough at all. That word control, we didn’t have enough until we went 2-1 down, to be honest. Then we started playing through the thirds a bit better.

“It’s probably a psychological thing. It was at Tynecastle and a lot was made of the game. Maybe we actually had more time on the ball than we thought.

“We could have played our football and when we went 2-1 down, we did that, but we have to do that at the start of the game. These are all things we’ve talked about as a squad and things we can improve on as the season goes on.”

With [decisions to be made for Derek McInnes](https://readrangers.com/2026/10/29/derek-mcinnes-rangers-risks-aberdeen-hampden), he needs to use the change of focus away from league duty to lift the performance.

The players must give a better account of themselves on Saturday evening to seize the opportunity of booking a place in the first domestic final of the season.