NafisaDerek McInnes may have secured his first cup final as Rangers manager, but the Ibrox boss has made it clear that reaching Hampden’s showpiece occasion will not be enough to satisfy his expectations.
Rangers defeated Aberdeen 1-0 in Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final, with Ryan Naderi scoring a late winner to send the Light Blues into the final on December 13.
It was a result that brought relief and celebration for McInnes, particularly after his team struggled to turn their dominance into goals. Rangers controlled large periods of the contest, created numerous opportunities and eventually found the breakthrough in the 83rd minute.
However, while the manager was delighted with his players’ perseverance, his post-match comments contained a clear message for several members of his squad.
Three attacking players in particular have been challenged to deliver more, with Badredine Bouanani, Kim Min-su and Djeidi Gassama all coming under the spotlight.
McInnes makes Rangers standards crystal clear:
McInnes was pleased that Rangers had found a way to win, insisting that getting the club into another cup final was the priority.
He said:
“We came with the intention of making sure we got the club to a cup final by hook or by crook and we’ve done the job.
“I’m delighted with the players for their perseverance, for keeping going.”
However, the Rangers manager was far from completely satisfied with the performance, particularly the team’s decision-making and finishing.
Despite enjoying 75 per cent possession and registering 25 shots, only five of those efforts were on target.
McInnes believes those numbers are simply not good enough for a club with Rangers’ ambitions.
He added:
“We were ponderous and needed to be quicker.
“We needed to be calm but we snatched at things and made poor decisions.
“When you have 75 percent possession and 25 shots in a game but only five on target, it’s not good enough. But that’s for another day. It was just about getting through to the final, and it’s important for this group of players to feel that.”
The message was unmistakable. Rangers had achieved their immediate objective, but McInnes expects considerably more from his players when they return to action.
Bouanani, Kim and Gassama receive public challenge
One of the biggest talking points from McInnes’ assessment was his demand for greater attacking contributions from Rangers’ wide players.
Bouanani was named man of the match after producing an impressive display on the right flank, repeatedly troubling Aberdeen and coming close to scoring.
However, the manager believes that performances from wide positions must eventually translate into goals.
He said:
“He better! The wide players need to start scoring goals.
“Minsu Kim needs to get that demand on himself, Djeidi Gassama too.
“Bouanani’s got so much quality. As soon as he steps on to that left side, 25 yards out, you think it’s in the net because in training he does it time and time again.
“So if he keeps chapping at the door, I’m sure the goals will come. He can be pleased with his performance. I always had him in mind for this game.”
Bouanani’s performance clearly impressed his manager, but McInnes is demanding consistency and end product from him.
The same applies to Kim and Gassama, with the Rangers boss making it clear that their responsibilities go beyond creating opportunities and causing problems for opposition defenders.
For a team hoping to compete for major honours, goals from wide areas can make a significant difference, and McInnes wants his attacking players to take greater responsibility.
Ryan Naderi earns special praise after late winner
While McInnes had criticism for certain aspects of the performance, he was particularly pleased with Naderi’s contribution.
The Czech striker once again demonstrated his instincts inside the penalty area, following up his Old Firm winner at Celtic Park earlier in the season with another decisive goal.
Naderi diverted James Penrice’s effort into the net from close range, providing the moment Rangers had been searching for throughout the contest.
McInnes believes the striker possesses the instincts required of a traditional number nine, but admitted that his teammates do not always provide him with enough service.
He explained:
“I’ve always said that Ryan, if you give him service, he’s always in the middle of the goal for when the ball goes into good areas.
“A lot of the time we don’t feed him enough. We don’t put the ball in there and we make too many bad decisions.”
The Rangers boss also praised Naderi’s movement, comparing the winner against Aberdeen with his previous decisive contribution against Celtic.
Dan Neil responds professionally after being dropped
McInnes also addressed his decision to leave captain Dan Neil out of the starting line-up, opting instead to play Tuur Rommens at left-back and move James Penrice into midfield.
The manager acknowledged that Neil would have been disappointed to miss such an important occasion but praised his response.
He said:
“Dan was fine. It’s all about the team.
“Listen, everybody wants to play and semi-finals are big occasions.
“There’s only disappointment when you’re not involved but he was brilliant before the game.
“He was brilliant when he came on, I thought he was really good in the game.”
McInnes even suggested Rangers improved after Neil entered the contest, praising the midfielder’s composure and contribution to the winning goal.
Ultimately, Rangers got the job done and McInnes can now look forward to his first cup final as Ibrox manager.
But his comments have made one thing clear: the victory over Aberdeen is only another step towards the standards he expects. Bouanani, Kim and Gassama have been publicly challenged to deliver more, and the Rangers boss will want to see that improvement as his team pursues silverware.
Nafisa
