DEREK MCINNES — FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

[0:12] Okay everyone good afternoon and a warm welcome to Ibrox Stadium. Before we begin can I ask please [0:17] that you wait for the mic before asking your question and that you also please state your [0:21] name and your organisation before asking that question. I'd like to introduce our top table [0:25] to my left is our CEO Jim Gillespie and to Jim's left let me welcome our new manager [0:30] Derek McInnes. I'll now pass to Jim to say a few words. Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Ibrox. [0:37] I'd like to introduce you to Derek McInnes your new men's first team manager. Derek was the only [0:43] candidate for the role and we're delighted to have secured him. He is highly regarded within the [0:48] club and exactly what we need at this moment. Derek brings with him a wealth of experience in both [0:54] Scottish football and Rangers. He understands what it takes to succeed at Rangers having been a player [1:01] here and he's built over a successful manager over many years. Everyone associated with Rangers [1:08] understands the standards of this football club. The board and the senior team are all aligned and [1:14] focused on exactly what future success looks like and we're delighted and driven to give the fans [1:20] a club that they can be proud of. I'll open up the floor now for any questions to Derek and I. [1:26] Adam Binney, Sky Sports. Derek first of all congratulations can you tell us what it means [1:31] to you to be sat here finally as Rangers manager? Yeah obviously very special moment you know I think for [1:38] myself my family there's a lot of people I can think of on a day like this but obviously having [1:45] known the club for a long time supported the club you know I'm well aware of the responsibility that [1:49] being the manager brings. So excited to get going I feel as though it's the right time for me and I feel [1:56] I'm ready for it I feel as if I belong here and I'm ready to get going with it and looking forward to [2:01] just getting started. As Jim said you know we just want to try and deliver a team that meets the demand [2:08] here you know I feel as though the Rangers fans when we won title in 15 years or whatever they've [2:13] suffered for a long time and it's up to us to try now and play a key role in driving the standards [2:19] and get a winning Rangers team on the pitch more often than not. I've got an idea of what my Rangers [2:23] team needs to look like and hopefully it's something similar to what the Rangers fans want as well. [2:30] You come into this role off the back of a memorable season at Hearts, how difficult or how easy [2:35] a decision was it to make the move and come here? No it's not easy you know I love my time at Hearts, [2:41] Hearts is a brilliant club. My time at Hearts was short but it was brilliant I would love to have [2:46] managed Hearts longer to be honest I thought I should have been there a lot longer before I was [2:50] appointed and we had a special season and there's no two ways about it it was tough how it all played [2:57] out but proud of the work that we've all done my staff the players together we did some great things [3:02] there and as I said this time last year getting appointed at Hearts the bottom six team to us to [3:10] get 80 points break club records left right and centre we just fell short to win a title which [3:18] you know hurt on the day but you know as I say becoming Rangers manager was something that I always [3:23] wanted to do. The call was a surprise when it came about because obviously the manager was in place here [3:30] I was on the holiday and obviously all things kind of kicked off and it was a busy five or six days [3:37] in between but I had a lot to consider but becoming Rangers manager is something I've always wanted and [3:42] I feel so comfortable when the decision was made and being here feels right. Success is measured differently [3:50] everywhere but really Rangers managers are only really judged on the number of trophies they win it's [3:55] been quite a while since a Rangers manager or head coach were able to deliver silverware consistently [4:02] how confident are you that you're going to be able to do that and what is your message [4:05] for the Rangers supporters? Yeah it's just something like what I said there about trying to get a team [4:10] on the pitch that they can get behind you know they need something to believe in they need something real [4:14] as I say a lot of managers have sat in this position first day and said they're going to do this and [4:18] going to do that it's easy to say things but it's a lot harder to get it done but there's work to be done here but [4:24] we're going to do it well the intention is to to make sure that what's already been done for next [4:29] season in terms of recruiting players you know and I'm confident with the work with the guys with [4:34] Jim with Dan with Stig that we're all going to work hard to bring the best players here because [4:38] it does take more than just being a good player to play for Rangers and deal with what's expected [4:42] there has to be a lot more under the bonnet and to deal with that expectation and I feel that part of [4:48] my job and the staff's job that we bring is to try and make the most of the current squad but also add [4:54] players that can help us be successful I'm no kidding I know if we don't win trophies it'll be [4:59] somebody else sitting here not before too long but I come here with the confidence that I know [5:05] where the resource we've got where the infrastructure in place and the support I've got for the people [5:10] above us that this should be a winning Rangers team and this should be a club that should be winning [5:15] and Rangers give me the best chance to win and that's important I know what I can bring Rangers [5:20] but equally I know what Rangers can give me why Derek why do you think he was the right fit for [5:25] Rangers and can you explain why he sat here as manager and not as head coach well the first thing [5:30] is is I think it's self-explanatory the quality that he brings and I think to come to a club that [5:35] Rangers you must have that quality but he brings standards and he brings leaderships and he brings [5:39] intangibles it's important to carry the weight of not just the Rangers manager but to be part of the Rangers [5:45] as an executive level you have to understand and have that character so so that's the reason why [5:50] we think Derek's there was the only candidate for the role the Derek understands the model that we [5:56] have the football model we were done the party's our technical director looks after recruitment [6:02] scouting and analysis and you see yesterday's announcement we're delighted to appoint stick is [6:07] your performance director who oversee the medical sports science in the academy but [6:13] Danny and Stigal also work on the strategic direction of the football team Derek work [6:17] work within that model and there's no real difference between what Derek and Danny's role [6:21] was ultimately we've given a nod to the history of this football club and it was important to [6:26] Derek and to important to us that we've done that and that's why he's the Rangers manager [6:30] Jim can you talk us through the process of Danny's departure because I think five weeks prior to him [6:35] leaving he was given the full backing by Andrew Kavanagh did it come as a shock to you that [6:39] he then ended up leading this summer well we we gave Danny our backing in May as you say [6:45] when things evolve over time the decision for Danny to move on was your decision Rangers football [6:51] club's decision Danny was contracted to Rangers and had no buyout so ultimately we could have told [6:56] Charlesburg he wasn't for sale but we decided that we wanted to bring Derek in and that was [7:01] the motivation to to let Danny go and bring Derek in because he was a man that we had already [7:06] to highlight his amount of bring success to Rangers Derek it's well documented you previously had [7:11] the opportunity to come to Rangers decided it wasn't the right time what's changed about you and what's [7:16] changed about the club in that time that you feel that this is now the right time well nothing's really [7:22] changed about me I feel as though I was ready for it by then but it's just a distant set of circumstances and [7:26] there was a lot going on at that time I was leaving a really secure club in Aberdeen and an enjoyable [7:36] period at Aberdeen but at that time I wanted to to be the Rangers manager as well but it was a different [7:43] ownership different set of circumstances a different feeling to be honest as soon as we kind of got into [7:49] talks and negotiations you know I think today is about becoming the Rangers manager rather than looking [7:55] back I'm just delighted I've been given the opportunity to be asked again and with that I'm [8:01] just eager to get going Derek a lot of Rangers fans want to see a team on the front foot a team that [8:07] entertains what can you promise these fans about a Derek McInnes side they support will probably want [8:14] what you've just said there Peter to be honest and it's easy to say it but you've got to try and [8:19] implement that you know I'm sitting here a year on a lot of things that I wanted for my hearts team last [8:26] year is similar to what I want here I want us to try and impose ourselves on opposition I don't want [8:33] teams to come here and feel comfortable and play their way into the game and try and all of a sudden [8:37] that maybe that fear factor isn't there playing against Rangers we've got to we've got to make [8:42] teams really struggle when they play against us we've got to make them suffer and we've got to try and [8:47] play in a manner which allows us to do that we've got good players currently and we're going to bring [8:52] good players so the quality that Jim talks about you have to have quality to be a Rangers player [8:57] but it takes a lot more than that and there's been an identity and an intensity that is required to [9:02] to win games domestically and for me we want to do well right across the board and Europe and all [9:08] the rest of it but we need to start being more relevant again winning trophies domestically and that [9:11] for me is key. Is it important you know demands as a player here at Ibrox when you play tier [9:17] is the demand on yourself knowing full well that Rangers are going to win the title this season is [9:23] that the pressure you'll put on yourself because that's what many fans will expect? The intention is [9:27] to win the title as quickly as possible. Derek it's felt like for the last few years it's been a heavy [9:33] shirt for a lot of players to wear how important is it as you say that and that you acquire players [9:38] this summer who are going to be I guess leaders for you on the park as you evidently had at Hearts last [9:42] season? Yeah I want I want the players to feel that when you sign for Rangers it's incumbent of [9:48] them all that part of the reason when they sign here is to be successful it's incumbent of them [9:53] they've got to feel that responsibility you know a lot of players will sign for a club for lots of [9:58] reasons location financial reasons all the rest of it but there's got to be a part that when we all [10:04] sign up here is to win trophies and be successful because if you're no you're no here long and it's not [10:10] a good place to be when you're no winning so for me I want to enjoy being a Rangers manager and I can [10:15] only do that by winning and the players can only really enjoy being here by winning games you know [10:21] the heat and all the noise comes on really quickly if you're not winning and we've had a period now [10:25] for the last wee while where we haven't won enough and we haven't done enough to do that so it's your [10:31] job to try and change that and it's no words that are going to do it it's actions it's day to day [10:37] it's standards it's driving the pace it all but working with good players is going to be the key [10:42] part of it and players who really want to enjoy being here and being successful there's obviously [10:47] going to be another summer of pretty significant change in terms of ins and outs how important is [10:51] it that you get those players in quickly I guess so you can start the season as as quickly as you want [10:57] to yeah so I think when the window closes we've got to be as strong as we want to be um you know for [11:04] all the reasons we just mentioned about trying to win our league this season and we're not going to [11:08] probably get everything we want and it's no many clubs do but it's important that the money we do [11:13] have at our disposal the the the budget we've got to work with we use it well and wisely and you know [11:20] I'd like to think that we've got players in the building who are capable of a wee bit more as well [11:24] and it's up to me and the staff to get out of them um so with all that in mind there might be changes [11:29] players leaving players coming in but every player comes in will give us something we have no we're [11:35] working hard currently to try and make sure we bring a level of player then that can deal with the [11:41] expectation but also give us that extra bit of quality that clearly we need and last season was [11:46] disappointing for the club um and something similar ain't going to get the job done so there's work to be [11:51] done derek you're in the kind of unique position of as well as being a rangers fan as a boy growing [11:59] up knowing about the history of the club you've also managed against rangers the last few seasons [12:03] what is it that you've identified as an opposing coach that this team maybe lacks that you'll need [12:07] to bring um i think there's clearly good players over the last period um certainly last season i think [12:16] rangers showed at times um you know during games how good they were um individually very good but i think [12:23] it's to try and try and make us more of a team and try and make sure that we on tight games we win [12:29] and too many draws that maybe last season and it's trying to find those answers in the game and but [12:36] with that you need to have confident players i want a confident rangers team i want a confident [12:40] rangers player and um you know and i think that it's not just turning up some of the time you've got [12:47] to try and turn up all the time turn up for your work and do it well stephen clifford four lads of the [12:52] dream derek and welcome to the football club can you um just introduce your backroom staff because [12:57] obviously there's some members of staff here from the previous regime can you just kind of explain [13:03] how that'll all work and um who you brought with you so i've brought um both shearing and [13:09] alan archibald and craig clark paul and alan former teammates and coaches with me for a long time now [13:14] paul was coaching me given the reserve manager's job at st johnson when i got the manager's job i took [13:20] him to alberdeen and worked with him closely both have been managers in their own right and [13:26] i like that about my staff i feel as though that every decision i make with the three guys [13:31] and they're always heavily involved in that whether it's signing players whether it's [13:36] training whether it's naming a team substitutions everything and craig was somebody who inherited at [13:42] komarnock and he was under 18's coach when he was there and i thought he was wasted in that role [13:48] as good as he was doing that role i thought i fast-tracked him really to the first team really [13:54] quickly and worked with him there it was my intention to try and get him to hearts but i [13:58] couldn't take him to hearts due to the amount of staff we already had at the club and but delighted [14:03] to bring craig alongside us again and working together so each will bring something a bit [14:07] different craig's a bit younger than the three he is but everybody's got a role to play and [14:14] it's important for me as a manager that i've got a staff who understand the pressures and [14:19] understand what we're trying to do and the support i've had from all three in the past has been [14:24] great and i'll need that again terek just with regards to transfers can you explain your kind of [14:31] role in the transfers i'm assuming obviously you'll have the final say but it's been spoken about before [14:37] there's a a bit of a different way to doing it here with a committee and things like that that rangers [14:42] do can you explain um your kind of role in that and how the transfers will work yeah so i don't think [14:47] it's a committee but it's a modern way of doing things so what we've got is a a recruitment team [14:52] who will will liais with constantly and we'll identify the key positions that we feel we need [14:58] to bring and within that there's conversations getting had and what to be done to try and bring [15:05] first protocols affordability and accessibility to bring players here there's no point in fishing in [15:11] ponds that we're not going to be able to bring players in and waste too much time so we quickly arrive [15:16] at maybe a list of players that we can get and then along with jim and obviously stig going forward [15:21] and with dan we try and arrive at the best option for us both financially and more importantly and [15:29] how good a player he is and what he can bring so age and everything is all part of it but not every [15:34] player needs to be a young player and for development and i think we understand that there's a a model there [15:40] that we want to try uh and adhere to and but you know i've been given assurances that every player [15:46] that we sign um will come down to me the final decision so uh but it's a collaboration really [15:52] and it's like like minded people just having conversations on a daily basis trying to arrive [15:57] at the best um option for us and derek uh you and cameron from stv at cards on the table i'm hearts [16:05] man through and through a year ago i watched you at time castle with a heart scarf above your head [16:11] so it's quite surreal to see you sat here today was there at any point that you were tempted to stay [16:16] at hearts to try and take hearts one step further from getting so close to winning the league was that [16:21] temptation ever there and secondly do you have a message for the hearts fans who took you to their heart [16:28] and thirdly can you give them assurances you won't be buying any players from time castle [16:33] so first of all i love my time as i said there i spoke it was only a short time but you know we [16:40] tried to make the most of what we had there um and worked with so many good people um the way the [16:46] season played out was really harsh on us all and it was hard to to deal with to be honest hard to [16:51] process and um there was a lot of anger and a lot of frustration for obvious reasons um but the [16:58] initial part of the close season was trying to re-sign players and try and go again that's only [17:03] response but um so i did have a good time there but this opportunity came along and you know this [17:10] wasn't the one i was going to say no to be honest you and um this is i always felt i wanted this [17:15] opportunity and i hoped it would come again and then i'm just grateful for that um and what was the [17:21] last question you were only tempted to stay no you were you're you're all yeah i don't think it's [17:25] not you don't just say yes without having conversations you know the initial approach [17:31] was rangers wanting to speak to me um so it kind of came out of the blue but i did have a really good [17:37] time at hearts um and i worked to save a lot of good people and i believe in the potential of hearts [17:41] um but at the same time i believe in the potential here and i think this gives me the best chance to to [17:48] win a bit more um it was a sobering feeling leading celtic park um and probably the lowest point in [17:54] my career um because i had a firm belief that we were going to win the league for a long period [18:00] and so all these things wrestle with you and you know i think rangers give me the best chance to [18:06] to win titles and go forward here um and obviously our job is to try and bring the best players now and [18:13] as it stands we're not looking to go and get anybody for hearts you're not buying anyone from [18:17] hearts that's it you're not buying anyone from hearts you can give the hearts fans that assurance [18:22] well i'm saying we'll not do it uh all the time but we're certainly not in any conversations this [18:27] window i would never give any club any assurances that i'll never buy a player from [18:31] or a coach but the players we've been discussing there's it has it there's no player under contract [18:37] hearts we've been discussing hi derry it's uh brandon cook here from stv news as well um can i ask what [18:44] what would you like rangers to be known as under your leadership what what what would their kind [18:50] of philosophy the style what what would what would people see when they see your ranger side just a [18:56] team playing to win believing they can win going the full way to win never giving it up you know the [19:01] the job here is just to win i'm not going to talk about philosophies i know how i want my team to play [19:05] i think we um i think i've demonstrated that as my team's over a period now um hopefully as i say it's [19:12] getting the most out of the the team we've got here currently um but the intention is just to win [19:17] we need to win here great thank you and just a quick one from uh jim if possible um jim what lessons [19:24] have been learned do you think from previous appointments which makes you think that this [19:28] latest one is as the one that can help drive the club forward i wasn't involved in any previous [19:33] appointments but what i can assure you is is that we've been very clear around about what we have as a [19:39] football strategy and what we believe would be the profile of a successful manager for rangers [19:45] football club with derrick mckinnis fits all those characters and was the only choice for us to do [19:50] and we're absolutely delighted to have executed that in the manner which we did just sorry just before [19:55] can i just check any other questions because we've got about five minutes left okay once you're [19:59] getting back right hey derek david curry bbc scotland here many congratulations um i just wonder can you win [20:08] the league next season can we yeah of course we can yeah it's easy to say it but intention is to [20:15] to go and do that um you know it's we've got work to do as i've said um but the reason i'm here is [20:21] because i believe we can yeah a question to jim jim you said we all know at rangers what future success [20:28] looks like could you just elaborate on that in the short term derrick signed a a three-year contract i [20:34] know steven gerrard it took him three seasons to win the league yeah so we we're going to have [20:39] every game with an expectation that we're going to win it and ultimately if we win every game we [20:43] achieve success and silverware that'll be no different you know the demands placed on derrick [20:48] and as a football club what we need to do is ensure that the resources available to rangers [20:53] is a allocated and distributed in a way that gives everyone the best opportunity success the support [20:59] we have from the owners and above the not just the support with resources also the the experience [21:06] and intelligence that they give us it allows us to actually be confident that we can really [21:11] push on and and give give the club as i say it's really important to give the fans a club that they're [21:16] proud of and rangers dna is to be successful in winning trophies mark then fraser to finish please [21:22] mark then follow follow considering your experience of refereeing and var in the last season do you have [21:28] the confidence that the football authorities have got the wherewithal to make changes that will be [21:34] meaningful and actually aid the game and secondly if i could um particularly under steven gerrard the [21:40] number of games the club was playing in europe the quality of the opponents they were getting results [21:45] against um what are your expectations for the team in europe this year yeah so obviously um [21:53] it was well documented last season a lot of high profile um refereeing decisions um i think every [22:01] manager in the league and every support we just want to expect the best um from that from referees [22:08] and referees have got a tough job um so hopefully this year they can be less less chat about our [22:15] decisions and key of our decisions and i think we're all in agreement with that and as far you know [22:20] mentioning stevie's team and it did so well in europe of course i think sometimes those give the fans [22:26] some of the best moments here and i did a lot of tv games and i covered a lot of the games here and you can [22:32] see the atmosphere and a lot of my best memories as a player was european night so you know i think [22:37] rangers should be uh searching for that and and getting as much from european campaigns as possible [22:43] um but equally we also need to be domestic and relevant again domestically and winning trophies [22:49] domestically which gives everybody the confidence i think and the wherewithal to go and attack europe [22:53] a wee bit more and so hopefully we can be greedy and get about everything final question jim just a simple [23:00] one how important is it you get a period of stability now in this position after the turnover [23:05] of managers has been in this club that's absolutely our aim any successful organization has stability [23:11] embedded in it and we aim to get stability embedded in rangers football club not just in derek's [23:17] appointment but in all of the the systems both in the football side and on football side it's really [23:22] important that we have an ability to be stable to have that ambition to drive growth to actually have [23:27] the momentum to achieve the success that we aim for