NafisaDerek McInnes knows better than most that winning a couple of league matches is not enough to erase everything that has gone wrong at Rangers since his arrival.
The pressure around the Rangers manager has eased slightly after consecutive Premiership victories over Aberdeen and Falkirk, but those results have not completely changed the mood around Ibrox.
Behind the scenes, the expectation remains brutally simple: Rangers must start producing consistent results, and quickly.
The club’s opening weeks under McInnes have already been marked by a series of setbacks that have left supporters questioning whether the former Kilmarnock boss can turn the situation around.
The biggest blow came in Europe, where Rangers crashed out of the Champions League qualifying route before subsequently suffering another painful exit to Jablonec on penalties.
For a club of Rangers’ stature, failing to reach the league phase of European competition was regarded as a major disappointment.
And that is why the back-to-back domestic victories have not suddenly wiped the slate clean.
McInnes has at least steadied things domestically. Rangers defeated Aberdeen 1-0 before following it up with a 2-1 victory away to Falkirk, with Lawrence Shankland scoring twice in the latter and showing the sort of leadership his manager desperately needed.
But Rangers still have plenty to fix.
The performances have not always convinced, the defence has looked vulnerable and there have been periods during matches where the team have appeared far less dominant than supporters expected after such a busy summer of recruitment.
Rangers brought in a huge number of new players during the transfer window, meaning McInnes can point towards the need for time to allow his squad to settle.
However, patience at Ibrox has its limits.
Football Insider previously reported that McInnes was already facing question marks over his position despite the two league wins, with the manager understood to have work to do if he is to fully win over the Rangers support.
Mick Brown explained just how important the coming weeks could be for the Rangers boss.
“When you’re the manager of Rangers, results are vital and you need to be winning, there’s no doubt about that.
“Obviously, crashing out of European competition altogether was a disaster for Rangers and losing that game to the Czech side, Jablonek, was a huge blow for Derek McInnes.
“They’ve bounced back with two wins in the league now against Aberdeen and Falkirk, and it looks like they’re starting to get going.
“He’s sort of steadied the ship right now with those two wins, and if he can get a couple more wins and put of a bit of a run together, he’ll be definitely feeling a lot more settled.
“The fans will be a lot more settled at Ibrox as well in that case, but there is still work to be done if McInnes wants to get them on side, which could be key for him at Rangers.”
That final point could ultimately prove decisive.
Rangers are not simply looking for isolated victories. They need momentum.
The expectation is that McInnes will be given an opportunity to correct the problems, particularly given the scale of the summer rebuild and the number of new arrivals who still need to properly settle into his system.
But if results do not improve significantly beyond August and into September, the argument that the squad simply needs more time will become increasingly difficult to maintain.
There is also the weight of last season’s disappointment to consider. Rangers finished third in the Scottish Premiership under Danny Rohl, while the European exits under McInnes have immediately placed additional pressure on the new manager.
Keith Wyness has already been highly critical of McInnes, while the wider concern is that the Rangers boss cannot afford another prolonged run of disappointing performances.
That is what makes the coming weeks so important.
The recent victories over Aberdeen and Falkirk have bought McInnes some breathing room, but they have not erased the overall concerns surrounding his start at Ibrox.
If Rangers continue winning, the narrative changes quickly. McInnes can build momentum, integrate his new signings and gradually win over supporters who remain unconvinced.
If the results turn again, however, those European failures will inevitably return to the conversation.
And that is where the dramatic headline scenario begins.
Should Rangers fail to improve substantially through the coming weeks, particularly by the end of the month, the pressure could become impossible for the club hierarchy to ignore.
In that situation, McInnes’ two recent league victories would count for very little against what has been an otherwise shambolic opening chapter.
For now, though, there is no confirmation that Rangers have sacked McInnes.
His immediate task is much clearer: keep winning, improve the performances and give the Ibrox supporters a reason to believe the worst of the early-season turbulence is behind them.
Anything less could make his position increasingly difficult to defend.
Nafisa
