Rangers have now crossed the 100‑day mark of Derek McInnes' tenure, and the period has felt like a wild ride. The new manager began with four games without a win and suffered a stinging European defeat to Jablonec.
Yet, as the squad returns from the international break, the ambition is clear: they want to sit atop the Scottish Premiership for the first time this campaign. That optimism stems from a refreshed roster and a string of six straight victories, which include back‑to‑back triumphs in the Old Firm derbies. The atmosphere at Ibrox has shifted back to a hopeful vibe, and fans are eager to see whether the summer recruitment drive can sustain this momentum.
McInnes knows the real test arrives on October 10 against Kilmarnock, and he is keen to keep the team on course. Before diving into the minutiae, it helps to view the broader context.
This summer marked the second year in a row that Rangers completed a 14‑player intake, but the two windows could not have been more distinct. To understand why, we must rewind a full year.
A year ago, Ibrox entered a new era under head coach Russell Martin, with CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell steering the club. The optimism was short‑lived; Martin was dismissed after just 123 days, and Stewart and Thelwell soon followed. Of the fourteen signings made under that regime, only four survived.
Chairman Andrew Cavenagh later admitted that mistakes had been made, issued the departing staff their P45s, and adopted a more hands‑on approach. Many assumed that Robbie Thelwell – listed as "head of recruitment" – had orchestrated those deals, but his title did not reflect his actual responsibilities; he was part of the scouting department. Fast‑forward twelve months, and the decision‑making structure had been overhauled.
Alongside Cavenagh, new figures such as CEO Jim Gillespie (who joined in March), outgoing technical director Dan Purdy, Paraag Marathe, and former 49ers technical director Gretar Steinsson were involved, with former footballer Stig Inge Bjørnebye appointed performance director in June after a consulting stint. The modern recruitment strategy now weighs a broader set of criteria: technical ability, dressing‑room chemistry, injury record, resale value and more. In the past, these factors were often overlooked, but they now sit at the heart of every decision.
Purdy would scout the options, Cavenagh and Gillespie would sign off on contracts, and the entire process would be backed by the 49ers' investment and the manager’s endorsement. While any transfer window will produce a mix of hits and misses, this cycle benefitted from a unified vision. Initially, the board aimed to bring in fewer players than the previous summer, but injuries and emerging opportunities pushed the total back up to fourteen. The leadership team defined the style of play they wanted domestically and in Europe, and the newly‑appointed recruitment panel executed the plan – much like the January signings of Tuur Rommens, Tochi Chukwuani and Ryan Naderi, who were made permanent.
McInnes, a veteran of Scottish football, set a clear objective: reclaim domestic glory. To break Celtic’s stranglehold on the league, Rangers chose not to mimic the Old Firm rivals’ possession‑heavy approach. Instead, they emphasized physicality, pace and a direct style, believing that to defeat Celtic they needed to be different, not a carbon copy.
The departure of captain James Tavernier, vice‑captain Jack Butland and other senior figures created a leadership vacuum. The club responded by injecting younger, hungry players and reducing the average age of the squad – a trend that began in earlier windows and continued this summer.
Chairman Cavenagh signalled willingness to spend on quality, but he also demanded that each acquisition possess upside potential, both on the pitch and in the transfer market. The checklist was complex: age, contract length, resale value, injury resilience and cultural fit.
The overhaul would not be completed in a single window; it required a multi‑year plan. Early indicators, however, are promising.
Before the international break, the team that beat Celtic twice averaged under 24 years of age, compared with Celtic’s roughly 27‑year average. The starting eleven featured a refreshed spine and six summer signings: goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, defender Olwethu Makhanya, midfield captain Dan Neil, James Penrice, winger Minsu Kim and striker Kevin Kelsy.
Their League Cup quarter‑final performance displayed a clear identity – strong, fast, physical and dominant in second‑ball battles. A week later, at Parkhead, they replicated that intensity while Celtic scrambled for answers.
Both the January and summer windows have been guided by a coherent blueprint. The current roster combines speed, robustness, ambition and a profile that could attract interest from larger European leagues. This is reflected internationally: thirteen squad members have been called up for the current three‑week international window, and twelve of those are 26 or younger, underscoring the youth‑centric shift. Key summer arrivals include Ivor Pandur (26), Dujon Sterling (26), Emmanuel Fernandez (24), Olwethu Makhanya (22), Minsu Kim (20), Nicolas Raskin (25), Dan Neil (24), James Penrice (27), Djeidi Gassama (23), Ryan Naderi (23), and Kevin Kelsy (22).
Their blend of experience and potential exemplifies the new recruitment philosophy. Significant work has been done to revamp Rangers’ scouting and signing processes since last summer.
While the early signs are encouraging, September is far from a guarantee of success. The club must still overtake Celtic in the league and navigate a challenging fixture against Aberdeen to secure a place in the League Cup final, where they could face Hearts or Hibs. Nevertheless, for the first time in many years, after a busy transfer window and consecutive Old Firm victories, Rangers head into the autumn with a solid platform. The combination of a younger core, a clear tactical identity and a cohesive recruitment strategy gives them a realistic chance to translate summer activity into tangible success on the pitch.