Lawrence Shankland's Impact at Rangers: Captaincy and Goals
Lawrence Shankland is “too good not to score regularly” and will leave his mark on Rangers whether he starts or not. Derek McInnes is adamant on that point.
The Rangers manager has watched the debate swirl around his new captain after a modest start in front of goal – one strike in five games since his move to Ibrox – and he is having none of the early anxiety.
Shankland, a 31-year-old Scotland international, arrived with a heavy reputation after hitting 22 goals for Hearts last season under McInnes. The numbers say he is a finisher. His manager trusts those numbers.
“When you have a player like Lawrence, who knows his way around the penalty box and how to score goals, I do not worry too much about it,” McInnes said. “Sometimes people can over emphasise these things. For me, it is a case of letting him play his natural game.
“The best strikers have that instinctive side to their game, where everything looks natural and seamless. I have no doubt he will do well here.”
Captain on the bench, message unchanged
The weekend brought an early flashpoint. Rangers thrashed St Mirren 5-1 in the League Cup to finally claim their first win of the season, yet Shankland watched the opening from the bench.
McInnes went with Ryan Naderi through the middle. The German justified the call by opening the scoring. Nico Raskin wore the armband. Shankland, the new club captain, had to wait.
It looked like a statement. McInnes insists it was simply selection.
“I said that when I spoke to Lawrence,” the manager explained. “Being captain does not guarantee anything, and he accepted that. He is not going to stamp his feet about it.”
“Having worked with Lawrence before, he is a brilliant captain and a brilliant boy. You want your captain to have a big influence on and off the pitch, and I believe Lawrence will have that.”
The influence, McInnes clearly believes, will come as much from Shankland’s presence and standards as from his minutes. The goals, he is convinced, will follow.
Raskin praised amid transfer noise
While Shankland’s role sparked discussion, Raskin’s future continues to hover in the background. The Belgium midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away, his name routinely dropped into transfer columns.
McInnes, though, sees no sign of distraction.
“Every player's got a price,” he said of the 25-year-old. “Every player has got a time where it maybe suits them to move on, suits the club or whatever.
“But I think it's important for me to say that Nico's been a dream since we came in, in terms of how he's set about his work, and he doesn't look like a boy who's distracted in any way with that.
“I've no doubt there's a lot of stuff going on in the background with him. I just need to play it by ear really to be honest. I'm enjoying working with him.”
For now, Raskin remains central to McInnes’ plans, armband on his arm at the weekend and full trust from the dugout.
European test looms against in-form Jablonec
Domestic relief quickly gives way to European jeopardy. On Thursday, Rangers host Jablonec in the first leg of a Conference League play-off that will shape the early mood of their season.
The Czech side arrive in Glasgow on a six-game winning run. Confidence, form, rhythm – they bring all of it.
McInnes is wary of labels. “It's difficult to really assess who are the favourites,” he admitted, unwilling to hand either side a clear tag.
What he is certain about is where Rangers’ attention must lie.
“It's just a game that we put the emphasis on ourselves to go and win,” he said. “They're clearly a well-organised team. They've got a few good individuals who can make the game a bit more problematic for you, but we feel as though we've got a good handle on what they are.
“They can change from shape to shape a lot even within the same personnel so we've got to be ready for that.
“I'm just really trying to concentrate on us finding our level and us getting big performances. If we can do that then, although I'm expecting a tough game, I expect it to be tougher for them.”
A captain searching for goals, a playmaker linked with the exit, and a European tie that could jolt the whole campaign. Rangers’ season is only just beginning, but the margin for error already feels thin.
