Derek McInnes lauds Rangers board 'encouragement' during transfer window while making pledge for season opener
The Light Blues have made six signings so far this summer
Rangers boss Derek McInnes is content with the continued financial backing he has received from the board but also admits there’s still work to be done - as he expects the squad to look ‘different’ for their Scottish Premiership opener against Dundee United later this month.
Since joining from Hearts in June, the new gaffer has now completed the transfers of Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, Ivor Pandur, Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin, to add to Lawrence Shankland who was already in the building. With six new additions and counting for the Light Blues, the McInnes revolution is well and truly underway.
The squad are currently training in Spain for their pre-season training camp as part of their preparation for upcoming campaign, which will get underway at Tannadice on July 31. Before then, Rangers will play host to Saint-Etienne and West Ham respectively in two friendly fixtures.
McInnes appreciative of board support
The manager told the Rangers Review: “There was a lot of work done in terms of types of players ahead of me coming in. But without speaking about anybody specifically, a lot of these conversations are kind of ongoing. I think it's nice to have that support at any club you go to and you've just got to try and utilise the budget that's afforded to you. Whether that's in transfer fees or in terms of salaries.
“So yeah, of course, we've had a load of encouragement from the board about what we can and can't do. So the board want the best players we can here. They want the best squad we can put together. And they've been very forthright with that support. You know, the support is there to try and do things. Obviously, it's not unlimited. We've got to cut our cloth accordingly.”
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprise have been very public in their financial commitments to the club. Since the takeover last year, they’ve spent around £40m on transfers, however, this time around they’re seeking a return on their investment after a disappointing third place finish in the league last season.
Rangers squad to look ‘different’ for Dundee United opener
The club have been strongly linked with Partizan Belgrade captain Vanja Dragojevic and Tromso midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl, while current Ibrox stars Nico Raskin and Connor Barron have both attracted interest from the Serie A in recent weeks. McInnes admits that several incoming and outgoing transfers are to be expected before the start of the season.
He continued: “The recruitment team, Dan (Purdy) and his lads, Jim (Gillespie), we're in constant dialogue and conversations to try and get people in. Really pleased with the work that's been done. I think everyone deserves some credit for that. But at the same token, it's not enough yet.
“We've still got work to do and we're well aware that we need to be as ready as we can be. Ideally, we'd be as ready as we could be for the first game proper against Dundee United. But there's not a team in the country who will be as ready as they want to be for that. And the squad that it looks like now, to the squad that it looks like when the window closes, I think will be a wee bit different.”