Derek McInnes believes a Rangers victory in the William Hill Premiership curtain-raiser at Tannadice on Friday night would be a “good step” in his first game as boss.
The former Gers midfielder made the move from the hot seat at Hearts to Ibrox in the summer with a view to shifting the power balance of Scottish football across the city from Celtic.
After a 2-1 friendly win at home to French side Saint-Etienne and a goalless draw against West Ham at Ibrox in the final pre-season fixture, McInnes is preparing for “the real stuff” in his first competitive match against Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United.
The former St Johnstone, Bristol City and Aberdeen boss said: “Pre-season friendlies serve their purpose and I’m glad they’re over so we can get down to the real stuff.
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“We still have work to do, but I’m delighted with what we’ve managed in terms of signings and the effort the players have put in. They’ve worked extremely hard, been very willing to listen and do what we’re asking, and they’ve been first-class in terms of effort.
“As a staff, we need to help them along and winning games helps, especially for a young team. Getting that early confidence, starting with a win at Dundee United away, would be a good step for us, but we know it will be a tough match.
“I’ve got full admiration for all Premiership managers, but Jim has done well over a sustained period and is very experienced. There’s a lot of turnover at many clubs every summer now and he’s clearly dipped into different markets – Eastern Europe and more recently a lot of Australian and New Zealand lads.
“He’s recruited from a variety of areas, like many clubs do, but he always gets a tune out of his teams and they’re always difficult opponents.”
