There’s a simple point behind this: managing Rangers (or Celtic) isn’t like turning up at a mid-table English club and doing your thing. You need more than a CV and a philosophy. You need to understand what the club is, what the fans expect, and how the whole place reacts when things go wrong.
Why understanding the club matters
To be fair, football is football, but each club has its own heartbeat. At Rangers that heartbeat is loud, impatient and inevitably political. If you don’t get that instinctively you’re forever a step behind. You can try to be clever with shape, tempo and pressing, but if you misread the mood off the pitch the vibe never really changes.
Knowing the culture helps with selection, communication and dealing with the inevitable storms. Supporters notice when a manager seems disconnected. They notice when decisions feel academic rather than rooted in the club’s identity. It makes a difference.
The 'breed' that fits
What is that certain breed? It might be an ex-player, someone who’s come through the system, a Scot who understands the landscape, or simply a born winner who knows how to handle expectation. There’s no single template. Advocaat and Jansen broke the mould in their own ways, but you can see why people value a manager who understands the specifics of Glasgow football.
That said, experience elsewhere can be useful. The key is humility and an ability to adapt quickly to the reality of the job, not stubbornly sticking to an ideal that doesn’t suit the environment.
Time, patience and the devil ye know
Fans are right to be sceptical about the old line that managers need time. Time’s fine if you can see progress week by week. What grates is when the plan looks distant and the fallback is more of the same. We’ve had recent examples — with Martin at Rangers and the same at Celtic with Nancy — where the fit just didn’t look right. Sometimes it’s better the devil ye know, sometimes a change sparks new life. It’s messy and there aren’t easy answers.
At the end of the day I’m not saying McInnes is the only option, but this season has reminded me why club knowledge matters. Would be good to hear any Celtic fans who drop in — do you see it the same way?
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
