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Rangers seek lift-off as Derek McInnes puts 17-game record on line against needy Hibs After two disappointing results, new manager cannot afford a misfire on Ibrox bow New Rangers manager Derek McInnes is no stranger to Ibrox. It is a stadium he frequented as a supporter, a pitch he patrolled during his playing days and a technical area he has prowled so often. Only this time, his vantage point is from the home dugout. Forget friendlies against Saint-Etienne and West Ham. This weekend is the real thing for McInnes as he takes his home bow as the boss at Ibrox against Hibs. This has been a long time coming for McInnes. For years, many have seen him as a Rangers manager-in-waiting. He almost made the move in 2017 while in charge of Aberdeen. When he walks out, suited and booted, just before 4pm on Sunday, he may take a look to the heavens and think of his late father Duncan and former manager Walter Smith, two key men in the 55-year-old’s journey. Steeped in Rangers and Scottish football, McInnes will be aware that while this match is sentimental, it is also significant. His tenure in Govan is nascent - but it needs lift-off. There is an element of unjustness placing such emphasis on the second round of Premiership fixtures on a new manager. McInnes has barely been in the door two months and is overseeing another major overhaul at Rangers. But the past week has not been kind to him. A 1-1 draw away at Dundee United was followed up by a 2-1 defeat by Jagiellonia Bialystock. The result in Poland leaves Rangers’ Europa League hopes in the balance. The stalemate at Tannadice was the fourth time in a row that Rangers have not won their opening league fixture. They have played catch-up on Celtic in those three previous title races and have ended up second, or even third, best in all of them. The hope is that this time, it will be different. McInnes has a serious renovation job on his hands and backed by chairman Andrew Cavenagh’s chequebook, north of £10 million has been spent on nine new arrivals. More could follow. The manager wants another winger. He also requires reinforcement at centre-half and left-back. The most pressing trait, however, is genuine Old Firm quality. While leaders such as Ross McCrorie, Cammy Devlin, Dan Neil and new club captain Lawrence Shankland have entered the building, a marquee arrival still hasn’t materialised. Undoubtedly, McInnes will also want to shift some of the players he has inherited. Midfielder Nicolas Raskin is likely to be sold for good money and you wouldn’t bet against a big bid coming in for the enigmatic but clearly talented striker Youssef Chermiti. They are far from being the deadwood, though. All this is coming in a highly pressurised environment. McInnes should be afforded time but you don’t get that at Rangers. He knows it more than most, having watched five managers in the past six years slip away amid the ferocious demands placed by the fanbase. A remarkable home record against Hibs The performances, as well as the results, on Tayside and eastern Poland have not captivated the Ibrox faithful. Fan chatter has centred on whether recruitment has been good enough, if tactics have been on the money. McInnes is finding out the foibles of many players. He looked furious at the meek defending of centre-half Emmanuel Fernandez and the efforts of playmaker Thelo Aasgard against Jagiellonia. But in both competitive matches so far, McInnes has made at least two substitutions at the break. The team selections haven’t been right. And so on to Hibs, who were the last visitors in a Premiership match to Ibrox. Back in May, they won 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal by Dane Scarlett on a night famous for James Tavernier-gate, the departing captain denied the farewell he wanted when Danny Rohl omitted him from the starting XI. But statistically, if McInnes could pick one top-flight opponent for his Ibrox debut, it would be Hibs. He has been a manager for 19 years and has never lost a home match against the Easter Road side during spells at St Johnstone, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and most recently Hearts. Seventeen matches, ten wins, seven draws. It is quite the record - including two 1-0 derby victories at Tynecastle last term. The Leith side are not in great fettle either. They started the league term with a 2-1 defeat by Motherwell and were hardly impressive in overcoming Malisheva of Kosovo 4-3 over two legs in the Conference League, nor in Thursday night’s narrow 2-1 win over North Macedonians FK Skhendija. Hibs fans are grumbling about the style of play and quality on offer, albeit being shorn of their most creative players in injured pair Nicky Cadden and Jamie McGrath. Gray has been in post for two seasons now and has won at Ibrox in each of them. Under the 39-year-old, Hibs have fared reasonably well in Glasgow. They have finished third and fifth in the Premiership, with back-to-back European qualifications. On those facts, some of the consternation seems unjustifiable too. Welcome to modern-day football. The instant demands on football managers have never been greater. Rangers fans have been starved of success and suppressed by Celtic’s trophies. It is why McInnes will want his team to go at Hibs right from the off, to make Ibrox vibrant and volatile for visitors. Last season, he did not lose a home game as Hearts boss. That’s the sort of environment Rangers crave. Drawing away to Dundee United is not a disaster but dropping points at home this early in the season is really not what Rangers need. At this point last year, Russell Martin’s rebuild was badly hampered by slipping up at home to Dundee on August 9 on the back of a 1-1 stalemate at Fir Park, then drawing with Celtic and losing to Hearts. The first home league win came on ... October 26. In need of lighting the touch paper, McInnes and Rangers could do with the three points. History tells us so. Comments Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.