Walter Smith says McInnes is the man
WALTER SMITH says Rangers should be going for Derek McInnes for manager.
Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne said on Thursday any approach for the Pittodrie boss would be rejected.
However, the man who delivered nine-in-a-row was back at Ibrox yesterday and reckons McInnes’s record with the Dons should still make him a target.
“I’d like someone that was going to bring a level of success to the club,” said Smith. “I would like to see Derek take the opportunity to do that. I had him as a player, and as a manager he has done a good job wherever he is.
“He went to Bristol and had some problems, but has come back to Aberdeen, four years there, and brought stability to the club.
“He’s adapted to what he’s got and I don’t think Rangers would go far wrong in attempting to get Derek.”
McInnes has been in charge at Pittodrie for four years and in 2014 won the League Cup, the club’s first major trophy in 19 years.
In 2015 and 2016 he also secured back-to-back second place finishes in the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers attention though is firmly on a man Smith admitted he does not know a “great deal” about – Pedro Caixinha.
Currently employed by Qatari side Al-Gharafa SC, the Portuguese has been targeted as replacement for Mark Warburton.
Smith, for his part, preferred to focus on the challenges facing interim manager Graeme Murty.
He said: “I think it was surprising Mark Warburton left when he did.
“It’s left everyone in a really awkward circumstance, more so Graeme than anyone else.
“He has got a very difficult job to do.
“Everybody has to appreciate it’s the first year back in the Premiership.
“I think they’re finding it a bit more difficult than they thought they would.
“It’s a year where everyone is going to have to make an assessment of where the club are and what they have to do to go forward.
“I wasn’t particularly surprised Rangers ended up in second or third position in the league.
“What I was a wee bit surprised about is the number of points they are away from Celtic, but that’s a credit to Celtic and the way they’ve handled the season.”
And in particular, he said to the manager they have brought in to lead them.
“Brendan Rodgers has had a brilliant start,” acknowledged Smith.
“But Rangers find themselves 33 points behind Celtic which is obviously an unacceptable circumstance.”
Talks aimed at recruiting Ross Wilson as the new director of football meanwhile continue.
The Southampton head of scouting and recruitment has asked for more time before delivering his definitive answer on their offer.