Rangers boss previews Hearts return and reveals player who left Ibrox ‘disappointed’ after St Johnstone win.
Derek McInnes has urged his Rangers side to ignore the noise surrounding their clash with Hearts and challenged them to embrace the “brilliant” Tynecastle atmosphere.
The Rangers boss watched his side out comfortable 4-0 winners against St Johnstone on Saturday afternoon, as a Kevin Kelsy brace was added to by strikes from Ryan Naderi and Tochi Chukwuani to ensure they got back to winning way after last weekend’s 2-2 with Dundee snapped a sequence of seven consecutive victories.
The result sees Rangers move to within a point of title rivals Celtic, who face Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday, and they’ll hope to further prove their title credentials when the head coach returns to Hearts on Wednesday for the first time since he opted to swap Tynecastle for Ibrox in the summer.
“It is quite ironic in the sense that we were so brilliant in the first half and created so many opportunities that we were only a goal to the good at half-time,” said McInnes. “Obviously we don’t want to let the frustration of those misses and missed opportunities and dominance filter into the second half. I think half-time came at a bad time for us because, despite the conditions, some of the play was really good. I asked the players to be brilliant today, not just win the game.”
Hitting the post with a curling long-range effort in the first half, Min-su Kim was at the heart of Rangers' attacking play. However, despite his impressive performance in difficult weather conditions, McInnes revealed why the young winger was left so frustrated after the thumping victory.
“The first thing he talks about is that he’s not scored,” revealed McInnes. “I'm trying to get him away from that. He's so desperate to score and do well, and I think it's clearly annoying him that he's hit a couple of posts now, but his overall game, his threat, was superb today. He's so willing. His counter-press is magnificent. His confidence in possession, his work rate, and the quality that he shows throughout the game.
“But, obviously, he doesn't get his goal. Bouanani gets one last week, which was great. Gassama gets a brilliant assist today, and Minsu did everything but score today. So, I'm fortunate we've got good wide players, but they know the importance of getting the numbers up, none more so than Minsu.”
Detailing his thoughts on Rangers’ clash with Hearts, McInnes added: “I think what we have to concentrate on is the game. Obviously, there's going to be a lot made going back there. But Hearts have got such a strong home record. We went last season unbeaten at home, and there's a reason for that.
“Tynecastle is brilliant for getting behind the team, and it's a tough venue for any team to go to, at the best of times. So, once the game starts, it's all about the game, and we just need to make sure we bring a big performance. I look forward to the challenge. Obviously, it's a big week for us. We said that ahead of this game. We've dealt with the first part, and we've got two tough games ahead of us.
“There are certain fixtures that are a bit more difficult than others, throughout the league campaign, so Hearts away midweek, is always one you would say, is fraught with difficulty. But I think equally as well, we've got to go there confident, that we're in decent form, knowing that we've got performance in us that can win the game.”