Ibrox great detects Rangers have found their identity under Derek McInnes but word of warning issued

Ian Durrant believes Rangers are beginning to show the hallmarks of a team capable of challenging Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title after their impressive Old Firm success at Celtic Park on Sunday.

 

Back-to-back victories over their Glasgow rivals in the league and Premier Sports Cup represent another significant step forward for manager Derek McInnes in a season that began with considerable uncertainty.

The Ibrox boss has gradually brought stability to a squad that underwent significant change during the summer, and Durrant, a key member of Rangers’ historic nine-in-a-row era, believes the settled defence and midfield are providing the foundations for improvement.

He insists it was the manner of the performance at Celtic Park as much as the result which suggested Rangers are beginning to find their identity.

 

 

“Professional. Very, very professional,” said the former Rangers midfielder. “Everybody to a man did their job. I always go back to Walter [Smith] and he used to talk about the spine of the team; the spine of the team is very strong just now. Now Derek has got a settled team: goalkeeper and the back four are unchanged, through the middle of the park.”

The transformation is particularly notable given the questions surrounding Rangers only weeks ago. Their shock exit from European competition brought criticism and disappointment, but Durrant believes McInnes has used the subsequent period to establish greater cohesion.

 

“It’s not so much leaders, it’s people taking responsibility to do their job,” he said. “You get found out quickly if you go hiding in the Old Firm. You get found out very quickly. They’ve got men now. Derek has got them more physical.

“When you saw them in the tunnel yesterday, they looked a team. You can see it, there’s a presence and a hungriness. He’s slowly but surely getting there. It’s still early days, but he’ll be pleased with the momentum they’ve got.”

Durrant: ‘You can see the team and confidence growing’

The youthfulness of McInnes’ squad offers both encouragement and an explanation for some of Rangers’ early-season struggles. Durrant was struck by how inexperienced the side remains, with James Penrice, 27, the oldest player in Sunday’s starting XI.