Rangers boss McInnes 'not a fan' of extended break

What the report says

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has criticised the length of the current international break, saying he is “not a fan” because it leaves too much time between club games. BBC Sport reports that Rangers had 13 players away on national-team duty after their Scottish Premiership win over Celtic on 20 September, and McInnes said the squad will not fully train together until Friday, the day before they host Kilmarnock. He said the gap will amount to 19 days since the Celtic match, which he described as longer than many tournament schedules.

McInnes said the issue is not only the delay to team preparation, but also the demands placed on players who are travelling between different countries and working with different staff. He added that clubs can feel uneasy when their players are “in other countries’ hands” for an extended period. The comments came as Rangers returned from the break having won six matches in a row, including back-to-back victories over Celtic in the League Cup and league.

The BBC also noted that McInnes had been named Scottish Premiership manager of the month for September after Rangers won all four of their league matches that month. He said there is “no illusion” that the team must keep their form going. The article also mentioned a recent lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been supportive of McInnes and discussed the importance of finishing strongly rather than starting well.