- Published
Derek McInnes has been in charge for 100 days at Rangers - the club he grew up supporting, played for and previously turned down the opportunity to manage.
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he → publish → opportunity
In his brief but busy tenure, there has been a huge squad overhaul, while a sluggish start led to Ibrox jeers and the failure to qualify for European football for the first time in a decade.
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start → lead → decade
Then came September.
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September → come → ?
A golden start to autumn quietened talk of crisis as a winning streak extended to six games, including two Old Firm derby victories.
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streak → quieten → victories
BBC Sport Scotland charts the key moments of McInnes' reign.
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Scotland → chart → reign
17 June - A new beginning - 'Lot of hard work ahead'
One month and one day after his Heart of Midlothian side were pipped to the title by Celtic on the final day of last season, McInnes is announced as Rangers manager, replacing the departed Danny Rohl.
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McInnes → pip → Rohl
It is 26 years since his days as a Rangers player ended with a move to West Bromwich Albion and eight-and-a-half years since he turned down the chance to become boss under the chairmanship of Dave King.
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he → end → King
"It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role," McInnes says.
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McInnes → grow → role
The new era begins at Tannadice with a whimper rather than a bang as Thelo Aasgaard scores a second-half equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Dundee United.
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Aasgaard → begin → United
"We worked hard to get back into it, but I don't think we were good enough to win the game," McInnes says.
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McInnes → work → game
"I thought the point was the right scoreline and we're disappointed with that first half.
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we → think → half
"We wasted a lot, we didn't create too much and it was a bit too frantic."
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it → waste → much
6 August - European debut & 'We beat ourselves'
Curtain up on Rangers European campaign - and it does not start well.
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it → beat → campaign
A trip to eastern Poland in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie ends in a 2-1 defeat by Jagellonia Bialystok.
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trip → end → Bialystok
McInnes notes: "I just felt we beat ourselves, to be honest.
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we → note → ourselves
We got off to a good start, being patient with what we were trying to do.
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we → get → what
We made two mistakes for the two goals."
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We → make → goals
9 August - Home defeat: 'We're not as bad as people think'
Rangers' first home match of the season ends also ends in a 2-1 defeat, this time by Hibernian.
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ends → think → Hibernian
A late Callum Wright goal seals victory for the Edinburgh side and, to make matters worse, striker Youseff Chermitti suffers an ACL injury that scuppers any potential big-money sale amid reports of interest from Galatasaray.
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that → seal → Galatasaray
"There are little things going against us at the minute, but we have to stay strong - we're not as bad as people think," McInnes insists.
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McInnes → be → minute
"At the minute, we are trying to work boys back to the same level of fitness and trying to manage that situation.
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we → try → situation
I understand the fan frustration.
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I → understand → frustration
They want and expect to see their team win.
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team → want → ?
I share the frustration."
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I → share → frustration
13 August - Europa League exit
Another below-par performance has supporters up in arms.
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performance → have → arms
Shankland scores from the penalty spot, but a second-half goal from Nik Prelec earns Jagellonia a draw on the night and progress on aggregate.
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goal → score → aggregate
McInnes confesses: "It is not great to watch.
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It → confess → ?
My team go from some good highs in the first half to being as poor as we were in the second half and you have to say we didn't do enough.
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we → go → enough
We should be winning this game."
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We → win → game
16 August - Five goals in first win
Five games into the new season and Rangers record their first win under McInnes - an emphatic 5-1 thumping of holders St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup.
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Rangers → record → Cup
"We gave up a couple of chances, which we weren't too pleased about, but there was a good attacking threat from the team," McInnes concludes.
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McInnes → give → team
"The players deserved that moment today against a St Mirren team who have been doing well."
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who → deserve → team
A penalty shoot-out defeat by the unfancied Czechs eliminates Rangers from Europe altogether.
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defeat → eliminate → Europe
Missed spot kicks by Findlay Curtis and James Penrice hand victory to Jablonec after a 1-0 defeat.
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kicks → miss → defeat
A bitter blow for the balance sheet too as the Ibrox club face up to life without European football proper for the first time in 10 years.
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club → face → years
"I'm embarrassed with the performance," McInnes says.
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McInnes → embarrass → performance
"I think the only people who represented the club well tonight were my support staff and the supporters who, to a man, were outstanding, getting behind the team despite watching what we all watched."
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we → think → what
30 August - Victory on Pittodrie return
McInnes registers his first Scottish Premiership win as Rangers manager at his old stamping ground of Pittodrie.
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McInnes → register → Pittodrie
A Shankland penalty gets the job done, much to McInnes' relief as he praises Kim Min-Su as evidence that the summer recruitment is beginning to bear fruit.
"
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recruitment → get → fruit
It was a tough few days for us all," he says.
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he → say → us
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
