McInnes: Shankland Will Be Key for Rangers This Season
Derek McInnes insists Lawrence Shankland will be a driving force for Rangers this season – whether he is in the starting XI or not.
The Rangers manager, who made Shankland his captain at Hearts and then brought him to Ibrox in the summer, has handed the armband to the striker again. But the Scotland international has yet to catch fire in Govan and found himself on the bench for Sunday’s 5-1 League Cup demolition of St Mirren, with Nico Raskin leading the team out instead.
Shankland replaced Ross McCausland in the second half, his second substitute appearance of the campaign, but could not add to his only Rangers goal so far – a penalty against Jagiellonia in the Europa League qualifiers.
For McInnes, none of that alters the bigger picture.
McInnes: Captaincy doesn’t guarantee a start
“I said that when I spoke to Lawrence. Being captain does not guarantee anything, and he accepted that,” McInnes explained ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Conference League play-off first leg against Jablonec at Ibrox.
“He is not going to stamp his feet about it. Somebody has to be club captain and, having worked with Lawrence before, he is a brilliant captain and a brilliant boy.
“He has a lot to offer. People can maybe look too much into it.
“You want your captain to have a big influence on and off the pitch, and I believe Lawrence will have that.
“For me, it is a non-question, although I understand why people might see more in it.”
Questions about Shankland’s form have inevitably surfaced, but McInnes refuses to be drawn into any early-season anxiety over his main striker.
Faith in Shankland’s scoring touch
“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.
“He is too good not to score regularly. He has consistently shown that over a period of time in the Premiership, with 20-odd goals a season at Hearts.
“Sometimes people can overemphasise 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.”
While Shankland battles to turn minutes into goals, McInnes continues to reshape his squad.
Nedeljkovic arrives to bolster right flank
Earlier on Monday, Rangers confirmed the season-long loan signing of Kosta Nedeljkovic from Aston Villa, with an obligation to buy included in the deal. The 20-year-old Serbia international becomes McInnes’ 11th signing of a busy summer and will compete with Dujon Sterling and Ross McCrorie for the right-back slot.
“It was a position we identified at the start of pre-season. We looked at various options,” McInnes said.
“The club had been reliant on Dujon, who has had his history of injuries, so we wanted to bring in a different type of full-back.
“I've got a high opinion of Dujon, but with Kosta you get a player similar to Vanja in a full-back position: real enthusiasm, athleticism and the ability to get up and down the pitch.
“He shows good quality and a real eagerness to play the role.
“As a young player, there will still be areas to improve, but we're looking forward to helping him develop.”
With European qualification on the line and domestic expectations already rising, McInnes now leans on a trusted captain searching for rhythm and a new full-back desperate to prove he belongs at Ibrox.
