Rangers have now crossed the 100‑day mark of Derek McInnes' tenure, and the period has felt like a turbulent rollercoaster. The new manager endured four games without a win and suffered a painful European exit at the hands of Jablonec.
Yet, as the squad reconvenes after the international break, the ambition is clear: to climb to the top of the Scottish Premiership for the first time this campaign. That optimism stems from a rejuvenated roster that has already produced six straight victories, including back‑to‑back triumphs in the Old Firm derbies, reigniting a feel‑good atmosphere among the Ibrox faithful.
In this analysis we examine how a decisive summer transfer window laid the groundwork for this dramatic reversal, and why McInnes knows the work is far from finished as the team prepares to face Kilmarnock on October 10. First, it helps to view the situation in a broader context. For the second summer in a row Rangers secured fourteen new signings, yet the two windows could not have been more dissimilar.
To understand why, we must travel back twelve months to a period that promised a fresh start at Ibrox. Russell Martin was installed as head coach, while CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell oversaw the club's operations. The optimism was short‑lived: Martin was dismissed after just 123 days, and Stewart and Thelwell soon followed.
Of the fourteen players approved under that regime, only four remain on the roster. Chairman Andrew Cavenagh later admitted that mistakes had been made, issued a wave of P45s and took a more hands‑on approach to the club's direction. Many assumed that Robbie Thelwell, who bears the title "head of recruitment," was the architect of those signings.
In reality his role sits within the scouting department and does not carry full responsibility for transfer policy. Fast‑forward a year and the decision‑making structure has been overhauled.
Alongside Cavenagh now sit CEO Jim Gillespie (who joined in March), outgoing technical director Dan Purdy, Paraag Marathe, and former San Francisco 49ers executive Gretar Steinsson, with former professional player Stig Inge Bjørnebye appointed performance director in June after a consultancy stint. The new hierarchy evaluates potential arrivals on a far broader set of criteria than before. Beyond raw ability, the board now scrutinises how a player will integrate into the dressing‑room, their injury record, resale value and overall fit with the club's long‑term vision.
Purdy identifies candidates, Cavenagh and Gillespie give the final sign‑off, and the 49ers’ financial backing, together with McInnes' endorsement, seals the deal. While no transfer window is flawless, this time Rangers approached the market with a unified, strategic plan. The original aim was to bring in fewer players than the previous summer, but a combination of injuries and opportunistic deals saw the tally rise from an intended ten to fourteen.
The leadership group defined the playing model for both domestic and European competitions, then tasked the recruitment team with finding the right personnel – a process reminiscent of the January window when Tuur Rommens, Tochi Chukwuani and Ryan Naderi became permanent fixtures. McInnes, a veteran of Scottish football, set a clear season objective: to recapture domestic glory. To break Celtic's stranglehold on the Premiership, Rangers deliberately eschewed a copy‑cat possession style and instead emphasized physicality, pace and a high‑pressing approach.
The philosophy was simple – to beat Celtic you cannot become Celtic; you must play to your own strengths. The summer also coincided with the departure of long‑standing leaders such as captain James Tavernier and vice‑captain Jack Butland.
The club therefore sought fresh leaders on the pitch and aimed to lower the average age of the squad – a goal already evident in the previous transfer windows. Financially, Chairman Cavenagh signalled a willingness to invest where necessary, but each acquisition still needed to possess growth potential and the capacity to increase the club’s asset value. This nuanced checklist meant that transformation would not be instantaneous; multiple windows would be required to fully embed the new identity.
Early indicators are promising. The starting eleven that dismantled Celtic in the two fixtures before the break had an average age under 24, compared with Celtic’s roughly 27‑year‑old core.
That lineup featured a re‑engineered spine and six summer arrivals: goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, defender Olwethu Makhanya, captain Dan Neil in midfield alongside James Penrice, winger Minsu Kim and striker Kevin Kelsy. In the League Cup quarter‑final, Rangers displayed a cohesive identity – robust, swift, and dominant in second‑ball contests.
A week later at Parkhead they replicated that intensity, while Celtic appeared unsettled, searching for solutions that never materialised. Both the January and summer windows have been guided by a clear recruitment blueprint, resulting in a squad that blends speed, toughness, ambition and the kind of talent that could attract interest from larger European leagues.
International recognition is also rising: thirteen players received call‑ups during the recent three‑week FIFA window, and twelve of those are 26 or younger, underscoring the youth‑centric shift. The current roster includes: 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), among others. Significant reforms to the recruitment process have already borne fruit, but September is far from a guarantee of success. Rangers must still overtake Celtic in the league and navigate a demanding fixture against Aberdeen to secure a place in the League Cup final, where they could meet Hearts or Hibs.
Nevertheless, for the first time in years, after a bustling transfer period and consecutive Old Firm victories, Rangers head into autumn on a solid platform that could finally deliver the long‑awaited success.