Derek McInnes fighting for his job at Rangers job amid 'huge' update
Derek McInnes has been given four "huge games" to prove he can get results out of this Rangers team, sources have told Football Insider.
After what was a nightmarish start to the season with high-profile defeats in Europe derailing their ambitions, McInnes was told results must take a positive turn in the near future.
The first of those four games was the home fixture against Motherwell, which ended in 1-0 win thanks to an early Ryan Naderi goal, as the Ibrox club have now won three in a row.
However, as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, the upcoming game against St Mirren and back-to-back Old Firm derbies will be crucial.
Securing all three points against Motherwell was the best possible start for McInnes, who has built on recent performances to land some key results amid a backdrop of frustrations.
Following the end of the transfer window, scrutiny on the manager's positon is set to grow, and he knows he must now continue this positive run of form.
Why is Derek McInnes under pressure at Rangers?
Football Insider revealed on 4 September that questions are being asked of McInnes despite a turnaroun in their league form after a slow start to his tenure at Ibrox.
Rangers' elimination from all European competitions came as a "disaster" to their plans for the season, following shock defeats against Jagiellonia and Jablonec.
The boss now faces a battle to get the fans on side, with the next three games key after the win against Motherwell, as he aims to put a successful run together.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "When you're the manager of Rangers, results are vital and you need to be winning, there's no doubt about that.
"He's got a big few weeks coming up now as well, firstly with games against Motherwell and St Mirren in the league where he will need wins.
"Then they’ve got that Scottish League Cup game against Celtic followed by another Old Firm game against Celtic at Celtic Park, so they're going to be huge games for Derek McInnes.
"If those four games didn't go well for McInnes, obviously the pressure will be back on him and questions will be asked.
"He's sort of steadied the ship right now with those two wins against Aberdeen and Faklirk and if he can get another two wins before those Old Firm games, he'll definitely be feeling a lot more settled."
How do Rangers fans feel about McInnes?
Much of the frustrations about McInnes' start to life as Rangers manager has come from the Ibrox crowd, with fans demanding better results after recent disappointments.
Following a third-placed finish under Danny Rohl last time out, the new manager's failure to progress in European competitions came as another blow to the supporters.
As a result, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that McInnes is at risk of having the fans turn on him if results do not improve quickly.
Fans have already begun to express their frustrations towards the boss, after they failed to reach the Europa League or Conference League through the qualifyers.
However, if he can continue to build on the results against Aberdeen, Falkirk and Motherwell, he will have gone a long way towards settling those early-season nerves.