We’re fighting to show we deserve to be at Ibrox, admits Holt

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Caixinha was sacked six weeks ago and Rangers finally made their move for McInnes two days after claiming their second victory of the week over Aberdeen, 2-1 on Sunday.

The protracted recruitment process and associated rumour mill has frustrated the former St Johnstone and Bristol City manager.

After Sunday’s 2-1 defeat in the Granite City, McInnes admitted his annoyance that speculation linking him to the Govan vacancy had been allowed to “drag on and on”.

Meanwhile, the Ibrox squad are readying themselves to prove they deserve to play a part in the club’s future, according to midfielder Jason Holt.

The former Hearts battler forced himself back into the lineup under caretaker boss Graeme Murty but knows he will have to justify his involvement again once a new manager is appointed.

“It’s great to be back in the team playing every week and helping the boys,” he said as the Rangers players made their annual Christmas visit to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. “It’s not just been myself, the whole squad have enjoyed working under Graeme.

“Graeme came in to help us all out and we’ve given him 100 per cent. But as for a new manager, everyone will be playing to prove that they deserve to be in the team.”

Rangers’ back-to-back wins over Aberdeen have pushed them up to second spot but they now return to the task of winning three games on the bounce — a feat they have not managed since last December.

“The last two results have been really good for the club but it’s about pushing on now and building on it,” added Holt.

“We won’t get carried away. It’s only two games we have won and now we need to build on that as we’ve shown this season and last that consistency has been a problem for us.”

Kenny Miller also insists Rangers have to build on their back-to-back wins.

Miller said: “Going into the last week it was a real opportunity for us to put a couple of big results, big performances, down.

“Fortunately we can look back and say it was a good week for us, it could easily have gone the other way.

“We were really determined going into last Wednesday’s game that we were going to gain ground on Aberdeen in second spot, and hopefully if we got the right results over the course of the two games we would find ourselves in second spot on Sunday night. We found ourselves there so we are absolutely delighted to get the results.

“We must build on it now, we must go on to Saturday with the same purpose, the same intensity, and make sure we get the win.

“These big games you win, you can only really take pleasure if you can back them up with good results at home, so against Ross County on Saturday it is important we back it up.” Looking up: Kenny Miller has urged Gers to build positives