Rangers manager Derek McInnes took to the talkSPORT airwaves on Monday morning, 2 November, joining hosts Ally McCoist and Jeff Stelling to reflect on his side’s 1-0 League Cup semi-final victory over Aberdeen at Hampden.
The conversation quickly turned to McInnes’ tactical reshuffle on Saturday, which saw Tuur Rommens make his first start for the club since 9 August following an injury lay-off. Rommens’ inclusion at left-back allowed James Penrice to shift into central midfield alongside Nicolas Raskin.
While Penrice went on to assist Ryan Naderi for the 83rd-minute winner after escaping a red card, Rommens was substituted in the 65th minute, thus making a major step in his return to full fitness.
On talkSPORT, McCoist was quick to heap praise on the Belgian defender’s return:
Bringing Rommens back in… He’s obviously been out for a while injured, but I think he’s absolutely been one of the better signings, if not the best signing. He’s been absolutely terrific.
While delivered casually, it is entirely fair to interpret this as McInnes acknowledging an underlying truth at Ibrox: Rangers’ squad profile remains noticeably top-heavy or over-indexed in specific positions while remaining thin in others.
Having to repurpose a natural left-back like Penrice in central midfield during a high-stakes Hampden semi-final is functional short-term problem-solving, but it lays bare the reality of Rangers’ current positional and tactical depth
The fact that McInnes opted to play Penrice in midfield alongside Raskin despite having Tochi Chukwuani and Vanja Dragojevic on the bench speaks volumes of what the manager thinks of his midfield options.
The timing of McInnes’ comment is particularly fascinating when set against the club’s official stance on the upcoming transfer window.
In early October, Andrew Cavenagh and other Rangers board members indicated that Rangers “don’t expect to be busy in January,” suggesting that the return of key injured players, including Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin, and Daisuke Yokota, would act as three new signings, while Youssef Chermiti remains sidelined for the foreseeable future.
However, relying strictly on returning absentees carries risk in a gruelling title race. McInnes’ honest admission to McCoist serves as a subtle reminder that while certain areas of the squad are robust, others lack natural insulation.
If Rangers are to maintain their domestic momentum and fight on multiple fronts, this passing talkSPORT remark may well be the first public hint that targeted January additions will remain on the agenda at Auchenhowie.