'Ibrox crowd key to Rangers' Derek McInnes sack decision'
The Ibrox crowd will have a huge say on the sack race between Derek McInnes and Martin O'Neill as Rangers face Celtic in the Scottish League Cup.
That is according to former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes the banning of away fans will put even more pressure on the Gers boss.
The Light Blues are already five points behind their Old Firm rivals in the Scottish Premiership, with frustrations growing despite four wins on the bounce.
Fan unrest could increase exponentially should Rangers lose to their biggest rivals at home in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday, 13 September.
McInnes will definitely be without striker duo Youssef Chermiti and Lawrence Shankland, with other key figures potentially missing for the clash.
The Hoops, on the other hand, still have European football despite being knocked out of the Champions League, which adds another layer to the weekend's fixture.
Derek McInnes to face huge pressure with Old Firm defeat
Aberdeen's former chief Wyness - who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs - believes the pressure is on for Rangers' 55-year-old manager.
Speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness, when quized about which manager needs the win more, he could not be more certain.
"I think it's clearly Derek McInnes and Rangers. I think it's a pretty important game for McInnes," he said.
"We talked about the empty seats being filled by home fans. That means if Celtic go ahead, the groans will be even louder than they would have been before.
"So I think it's definitely on McInnes. Now, while Celtic had that terrible LASK result when they went from 4-0 to 5-4, still they're in the Europa League.
"So they've got a chance to redeem themselves and still are fighting in Europe. Rangers have had a very poor start to the season. They got the result up at Aberdeen, which was still not that convincing at all.
"But still, I think, yes, this matters more to Rangers. And if they fail here, the pressure really is on in Glasgow. I know what it's like.
"It starts to mount very quickly up there, more than in England. And so McInnes would be right under it if you were to lose at home. And as I say, the full home crowd will magnify that big time."
Who else will miss out on Rangers vs Celtic?
Joining Chermiti and Shankland on the sidelines will be Daisuke Yokota, Kosta Nedeljkovic and Tuur Rommens, while O'Neill also has some notable absences.
Despite returning to the pitch in training, Alistair Johnston is unlikely to make the team, with Callum Osmand also out for the Old Firm derby.
Hyun-jun Yang will also be absent due to his role in the Asian Cup, but the majority of the big-name stars should be present at Ibrox.
McInnes will hope that his side can secure their first Old Firm win in four attempts, but the Hoops' record in recent seasons doesn't make for good reading.