Rangers

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media before Saturday's home game against Kilmarnock (15:00 BST) in the Scottish Premiership.

Here are the main points:

• McInnes says the three-week international break has been "too long", insisting it is "tough" for players to be away from their families and nervous for the club having them under the auspices of so many different federations.

• Midfielder Cammy Devlin will be out for about six weeks with a hamstring strain picked up against Celtic - but Dujon Sterling has been training and Dan Neil is fine.

• McInnes' Premiership manager of the month award is also recognition for the players and staff, and it was a run of results "they needed to find".

• Rangers will be judged over a period of months, not just a few weeks, and the club are under "no illusions about keeping the shoulder to the wheel" to keep improving.

• Sir Alex Ferguson dropped in on Tuesday for lunch and spent time with the staff and continues to be "really supportive" of McInnes personally.

• McInnes says the biggest drain of confidence is conceding cheap goals and Rangers have "kept the back door shut" with a run of clean sheets, while their output in attack is improving, but needs to improve more.

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Rangers' flawless form in September has yielded an awards double, with Derek McInnes and Olwethu Makhanya named Scottish Premiership manager and player of the month respectively.

McInnes steered Rangers to four league wins from four, culminating in back-to-back derby victories as they followed their League Cup quarter-final success over Celtic with a 1-0 triumph at Parkhead.

Defender Makhanya, 22, continued the impressive start to his Ibrox career by playing every minute of Rangers' five games in September, in which McInnes' side conceded just one goal.

"It's pleasing to receive this award, but it is recognition of the collective effort of the players and staff," said McInnes.

"I am fortunate to have a dedicated group of staff around me who work tirelessly every day.

"We had a fantastic run of results before the international break and the players deserve great credit for their efforts too. We want to keep building on that and are looking forward to returning to Scottish Premiership action this weekend."

South Africa centre-back Makhanya, a summer arrival from Philadelphia Union, is "proud" to receive award recognition, adding: "I'd like to thank my team-mates and all the staff for their support.

"They have helped me settle in and feel part of the group and that makes a big difference when you come to a new club.

"I want to keep working hard, keep improving and help the team get the results we want."

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Are underlying numbers from the start of the Scottish Premiership season suggesting a refreshed approach could be taking hold across the league?

Well, the success stories at Motherwell and Falkirk last season seem to have had an influence.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin was humble enough to reveal that Jens Berthel Askou - now head coach at Toulouse in Ligue 1 - has inspired him to change his ways after more than 15 years as a player and manager in Scotland.

Goodwin's side are one of a number of Premiership teams to have undergone a stylistic shift this term, and that is reflected in the league's overall numbers, albeit the sample size remains small after just seven matches for each club.

Compared with the previous five Scottish top-flight seasons, passes per game have soared to 886. That is an increase of 58 on last term. Five years ago, the average was 795.

Passing accuracy is also at a high of 81%, which is quite a remarkable increase on the 73% recorded in 2023-24.

That is down to more short passing. The percentage of long passes across the league (13%) is now at its lowest level of the past five years. Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts and Rangers go long more than any other teams.

Goodwin's United, meanwhile, have gone from average possession of 42% last term to 50% this season. Their accurate passes per match have rocketed from 219 to 320.

It is a similar story for St Mirren under Craig McLeish and Neil McCann's Kilmarnock, while league leaders Celtic and Alfred Johansson's Motherwell are locked at the top of the possession chart on 61%.

The promotion of St Johnstone back into the league, replacing Livingston, has added another side who aim to play a more expansive brand.

The recent appointment of Dutch head coach Marink Reedijk at Hibernian will only enhance that.

Read more: Why early-season data points to Premiership style shift

Martin Dowden & Andy Campbell
BBC Scotland

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Rangers skipper Lawrence Shankland is delighted understudy Dan Neil has seen his fortunes turn around in recent weeks.

Neil, the club's vice-captain, has led Rangers in their past three games since Shankland picked up a hamstring injury that will keep him out until early next year.

The midfielder, 24, scored his first Rangers goals in the 3-0 League Cup win over Celtic at Ibrox and Derek McInnes' side followed that up with a 1-0 Premiership victory at Celtic Park.

"I was delighted for Dan Neil," Shankland said of the former Sunderland and Ipswich player who arrived in Glasgow in July.

"Obviously, you come here, the expectation's really big and when things aren't going very well, people like to be vocal about it and they get on your back.

"I felt Dan had a bit of a tough run at the start and I felt for him the rewards for obviously getting the two goals in the Old Firm, two really, really good finishes - it was what I was seeing at training every day and the player that's in there.

"It was important for him that he had a moment like that and I felt he's really pushed on from there.

"He's led the team really well and getting two spectacular goals always helps."

Martin Dowden & Andy Campbell
BBC Scotland

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Lawrence Shankland hopes to be involved in Scotland's March fixtures after missing the autumn games recovering from surgery.

The Rangers striker went under the knife following a hamstring tear and is hopeful of a return to club action around January time.

Scotland won one, drew one and lost two of their opening four Nations League matches in the first of this season's international breaks, with more games against North Macedonia and Switzerland scheduled for next month.

Sebastien Pocognoli's side will have either friendly matches or Euro 2028 qualifiers in late March.

"I'll get myself fit as quick as possible and hopefully it'll be March camp that I could possibly be a part of," Shankland said. I'll hope to get myself involved there.

"You want to be out there on the pitch every chance you can get to play for the national team. It's disappointing to miss out on the camp and just not have the opportunity to be involved.

Shankland has not yet spoken with Belgian Pocognoli and says the "mixed bag" of results over the past fortnight is understandable.

"You could see there were a lot of ideas that the boys were trying to implement in the games," Shankland said. "It's a lot more difficult to implement it in games than it is in training. These things take a bit of time.

"There's always going to be teething problems at the start of a new manager's reign and it's early days for him. The boys will improve. It would've been good for them to get four games under the manager, a lot of new faces in the squad and things will improve as they go on.

"There's changes of system, formations and obviously a lot of personnel as well."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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BBC Sport Scotland has been taking a look at away ticket pricing in Scottish football.

It is an issue which has been tackled at the highest level south of the border, with a £30 away ticket cap having been in operation in the Premier League for a decade.

Is anything similar on the agenda north of the border?

While it doesn't appear to be at the moment, we have been canvassing the thoughts of fans across the Premiership.

An adult away fan going to a league game at Rangers will pay between £34-£39, with concessions ranging from £12 to £27.

Rangers fan Jamie Currie says: "As someone who goes home and away, I find away pricing vastly overpriced given the product.

"It should be capped at £20 but it's the biggest earner for clubs so it's a catch 22.

"I think it all comes from the bottom, though. For some League 1 games it's £18-20 for an adult so until those prices fall then the top flight will price accordingly."

Read more: Are SPFL away tickets too expensive?

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

After an ultimately disappointing international break, many Rangers fans will be anxiously waiting to see if their side can pick up where they left off three weeks ago.

The back-to-back wins over Celtic feel like a long time ago and Derek McInnes must do his utmost to ensure the momentum is not stymied by the hiatus.

Players will return to training over the next day or two and McInnes will have to assess the fitness of those who have been involved at international level and the sharpness of those who have not before deciding his starting XI to play Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Victory at Ibrox this weekend will put Rangers top for the first time this season and the psychology of that could be important.

Celtic, currently two points ahead, must wait till the Sunday to travel to Motherwell and numerous former players have spoken about the added pressure of playing a day later if your rivals have won the previous afternoon.

While Killie are bottom of the league, they picked up their first Premiership win of the season in their last away game at Easter Road and are unbeaten in four in all competitions (not counting the penalties defeat to Aberdeen in the League Cup).

It will be interesting to see if Neil McCann sets his team up to try to frustrate Rangers or sticks to his own attacking principles and has a go.

Rangers would surely prefer the latter approach as they have struggled in recent years to break down stuffy teams sitting deep, while preferring the space offered by more adventurous opposition.

This is the first of five Premiership games before the next international break. A winning start to that run is imperative.

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Rangers striker Ryan Naderi made his first start for the Czech Republic in the 3-0 Nations League defeat to England.

Having made his international debut three days earlier as a substitute in the 3-1 loss to Spain, Naderi played the full game at Wembley as the Czechs remained pointless and bottom of Group A3 after a fourth defeat from four.

With the visitors registering just five shots - zero on target - and mustering an xG of just 0.17, it was a tough night for the 23-year-old.

He created one chance, had 25 touches - none in the opposition box - completed 11 of his 14 passes and won four of his 17 duels.

Naderi, who scored the winner at Celtic Park in Rangers' last game before the international break, will now return to Ibrox as the club prepare to resume their Premiership campaign at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday.

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Ex-England striker Emile Heskey believes a loan move to Rangers or Celtic could help fast-track the development of Arsenal teenager Max Dowman. (The Herald - subscription required, external)

Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh is looking to sell the healthcare company he set up with Ibrox board member Andrew Clayton in a deal worth £4.5b, according to reports in the US. (Daily Record - subscription required, external)

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Aston Villa remain admirers of Nicolas Raskin, with those close to the Belgium midfielder believing the Premier League is his likely destination next year despite Rangers turning down a £12m offer from Hull City this summer. (TeamTalk, external)

Kilmarnock coach Kirk Broadfoot has been impressed with Bailey Rice, 20, since he joined on loan from Rangers and expects the midfielder to be "an asset" to the Ibrox club. (Sun, external)

Tuesday's Scottish gossip

The next five fixtures "will really shape the season" for Rangers, believes former midfielder Andy Halliday.

Having achieved back-to-back victories over Celtic, Derek McInnes' men return from the international break by welcoming Kilmarnock to Ibrox on Saturday.

They then travel to Dundee and host St Johnstone before a trip to Hearts as they aim to reel in their city rivals at the summit.

The crucial five-match run ends with their League Cup semi-final against McInnes' former side Aberdeen at Hampden.

"Tough run of games coming up," Halliday told BBC Scotland. "The next five will really shape the season, I think.

"But if they take the momentum they've carried forward from previous games, they will be attacking them head-on with a lot of confidence."

McInnes has turned things around after a challenging start, winning six matches in a row to progress to the last four of the League Cup and move within two points of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Former Rangers player Halliday added: "The team had a lot of criticism at the start of this season, probably rightly so, and they've had a lot of praise over the past month or two, again rightly so.

"I can't remember many Rangers performances that were as comfortable as that at Celtic Park last time out.

"The break has probably not come at a great time for them, but I'm sure they've been working hard to come back and start all over again."

Former Rangers forward Martyn Waghorn wishes he could have stayed longer at Ibrox. (Record - subscription required, external)

Waghorn backs Rangers manager Derek McInnes to deliver silverware. (Sun, external)

Monday's Scottish gossip

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A controversial VAR intervention denied Rangers forward Ryan Naderi a goal against world champions Spain on his Czech Republic debut.

The 23-year-old was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute during the Nations League match in Oviedo, with his team trailing 2-0.

Jiri Slama reduced the deficit before Naderi tapped into an empty net following a fumble from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.

However, it would not stand after a review picked up on a foul in the build-up on Robin Le Normand.

Czech captain Ladislav Krejci was booked for his complaints and received a second yellow card before Spain added a third goal in the closing minutes.

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

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Bojan Miovski believes he still has a lot to offer Rangers despite only featuring sporadically at the start of the season.

Miovski is on international duty with North Macedonia as they prepare to host Scotland in the Nations League.

He has made just five substitute appearances for the Ibrox club so far this season.

"I don't get a lot of minutes in the club, but I scored an important goal before I came here (a last-minute winner against St Mirren)," he told BBC Scotland.

"So, that gives me a lot of confidence to be here."

Despite that important goal, Miovski played just three minutes in the subsequent League Cup win over Celtic and was unused in the subsequent league victory at Celtic Park.

"In the end, the most important thing is for the team to win. And we won both games," he said.

"And, of course, when the team is winning, it's always good. Of course, I want to be on the pitch and spend more minutes. But that's up to the coach and he's deciding when to put me on.

"For me, it's just to be ready and give everything when I'm on the pitch.

"I can try to give my best every day in training. And when I get minutes to try to help the team and score goals, I think if I do that, I will get opportunities."

Miovski was reluctant to discuss his future at the club or the summer transfer window, at the end of which he announced he had parted company with his agent.

"It was a lot of things, but I'm not really focused now on these things. I'm really focused only on the national team and tomorrow's game," he said.

Excelsior centre-back Casper Widell has claimed he was close to joining Rangers this summer, but the 23-year-old says his move fell through after an unnamed player refused to leave Ibrox. (HD, external)

Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin is Besiktas' main signing target for January despite the Turkish club having failed to persuade the 25-year-old to join them this summer. (TeamTalk, external)

Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who appeared likely to be sold this summer, is keen to stay with Rangers to help them towards the Scottish title this season and the Ibrox club do not wish to sell until the end of the season. (Football Insider, external)

Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray has claimed the club were unfairly targeted by tax authorities back in 2012 and defended the use of EBT contracts despite Simon Jordon saying he rejected the opportunity to use them with Crystal Palace. (Graeme Souness Tackles podcast), external

At £132m, Rangers have overtaken Celtic by nearly £19m as having the most valuable squad in Scotland after a 4.6% increase this summer, with Heart of Midlothian third at £22m after a 15.5% increase, but St Mirren have the biggest percentage increase at 18.6%, with Hibernian the biggest drop at 10%. (Transfermarkt, external)

Switzerland striker Cedric Itten, now with Werder Bremen, says he still gets goosebumps thinking of his time with Rangers. (The Scotsman, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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The domestic season may only be a couple of months old but it's never too early to start talking about the outstanding players.

With seven rounds of Scottish Premiership fixtures played and up to the quarter-finals of the League Cup done and dusted, the topic of standout performers came up on Thursday's BBC Scottish Football Podcast.

Scotsman sports editor Mark Atkinson commented: "I've been really impressed by Olwethu Makhanya at Rangers, the centre-half. When a club bring in a young defender from the MLS you immediately raise your eyebrows and go, 'I wonder if this guy's going to cut it?'

"Makhanya has been excellent. He's just got better and better as each game goes. He's got all the modern attributes for a centre-half, he's quick.

"He's intelligent, positionally sound, reads the game well and has shown in the games against Celtic that he can do a variety of different roles within a back line.

"On current trajectory, I think you're looking at a player that could make Rangers some serious money."

Former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell chose another Ibrox player.

"James Penrice has come in and been absolutely fantastic," said the Scotland cap. "He got asked to play that centre midfield role against Celtic, which is unknown to him. He produced a brilliant display on that day.

"It's always a big question mark over players when they join the Old Firm, can they handle the pressure? And James Penrice has been phenomenal since he came in."

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We asked you to rate Rangers' season and tell us what Derek McInnes should be focusing on during the international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Chris: It's been a strange start. I expected it to be a challenge at first with so much change but the first month or so was way worse than I could have imagined. But the turnaround has been dramatic and now we're in a stronger position that I expected at this stage.

Ricky: I think McInnes has 'fallen' into this team. Ben Godfrey injury means Olwethu Makhanya is now a regular. Nico Raskin staying puts him ahead of Cammy Devlin. Lawrence Shankland injury changes attackers. Team now playing and working as a team and looking better than the first couple of games.

Rab: From high expectations, tempered by a rocky start, we seem to be arriving at a point where McInnes might be leading us in the right direction. The team, with all the new signings, seems to be gelling. A number of players, who we all felt were not the right ones for Rangers, have left. We seem to have strength in depth, and are gradually developing a settled side. Everything is starting to look positive; after a number of false dawns could this latest reset be exactly what we've waited for? The signs are promising.

Graeme: Not a bad start but must improve to win the league.

Jon: I'm glad we are out of European competition for the season as it gives us a bit of breathing space. We've had many false dawns over the last few seasons and didn't build when we should have but hopefully this is us finally clicking now.

John: It was quite a worrying start but slowly things appear to have clicked and some momentum has been building. They still aren't scoring enough goals, but they're creating more chances than they had been and I think the goals will come. Defensively they're looking better but still a bit prone to errors - cutting those out will help them succeed. It's enjoyable watching them now and I hope the manager can keep them motivated through the whole season.

Hamish: Dreadful start but maybe understandable with so many new players. Going out of Europe while financially not good could be a blessing in disguise as team should be fresher without midweek games. The two victories v Celtic has completely changed the landscape and a real title challenge is now on.

Denmark winger Andreas Skov Olsen believes he struggled on loan to Rangers last season because Scottish football was not the right match for him. (Record - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip