Lawrence Shankland's Role at Rangers: McInnes' Confidence
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 handed him the armband again at Ibrox in the summer, watched his main striker sit out Sunday’s 5-1 League Cup win over St Mirren, with Nico Raskin leading the team instead.
Shankland’s start to life in Govan has been slow. One goal so far – a penalty against Jagiellonia in a Europa League qualifier – and now a place on the bench at home, hardly the script many expected when he followed McInnes west.
McInnes, though, is unmoved.
Armband doesn’t guarantee a place
Speaking before Thursday’s UEFA Conference League play-off first leg against Jablonec at Ibrox, McInnes laid out the reality he says Shankland accepted from day one.
“I said that when I spoke to Lawrence. Being captain does not guarantee anything, and he accepted that,” he explained. “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.”
On Sunday, Shankland again had to wait his turn. He came off the bench for only the second time this season, entering in the second half against St Mirren, but could not add to that solitary Rangers goal.
The noise around a misfiring centre-forward at Ibrox tends to rise quickly. McInnes is not joining in.
McInnes backs his No 9
“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,” he 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.”
For now, the debate over the captain’s place will rumble on outside the dressing room. Inside it, McInnes is making it clear Shankland’s status is measured by influence, not just minutes.
Nedeljkovic arrives to stiffen the right flank
While Shankland’s form draws the headlines, Rangers’ recruitment drive quietly rolled on. Earlier in the day, the club confirmed the season-long loan signing of Kosta Nedeljkovic from Aston Villa, with an obligation to buy.
The 20-year-old Serbia international becomes McInnes’ 11th signing of a busy summer and will immediately 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.”
Shankland’s goals and Nedeljkovic’s energy down the right. If both click quickly, the questions hovering over Rangers this August could sound very different by the time Europe comes calling in earnest.
