Derek McInnes is looking forward to a potential Old Firm derby in the Premier Sports Cup after Rangers secured a 5-1 victory over St Mirren, marking McInnes's first win as manager.
The draw for the quarter-finals paired Rangers with Celtic, setting up a highly anticipated encounter. Celtic had also advanced by defeating Dundee United 4-0. The quarter-final match is scheduled to take place at Ibrox on the weekend of September 12-13, just a week before the two rivals are set to meet again in the Premiership.
McInnes, who had been under significant pressure following four winless matches and a Europa League exit, expressed his relief and satisfaction with the team's performance. "I am delighted to be at home, obviously it’s a mouth-watering tie," McInnes stated after the draw. "If you’re going to win the trophy, you need to beat the better teams."
Rangers' victory over St Mirren saw goals from Ryan Naderi, Vanja Dragojevic, Djeidi Gassama, James Penrice, and Ross McCausland. McInnes noted the team's improved attacking threat, particularly after switching to a 4-3-3 formation. "There were so many positives for us," McInnes said. "I thought it was a strong start, we scored two goals inside 20 minutes, we should have maybe scored more."
The manager also highlighted the strong performance of debutant James Penrice, who scored and assisted a goal. "It was a great debut for James [Penrice] as well. He has a real natural enthusiasm and I think that rubbed off on others around him. He also has really good quality, which he showed with his goal and assist."
Despite the positive result, McInnes acknowledged that the team conceded a goal that momentarily disrupted their momentum, stating, "We can’t allow one goal to rock us like that." However, the team recovered to secure the win in the second half.
Rangers are also preparing for a Europa Conference League qualifier against Jablonec on Thursday night. McInnes indicated that the club is working to sign new players, particularly in forward areas, and provided an update on Ben Godfrey, who is nearing a return from a hamstring injury and is expected to be available for the second leg of the European tie.