Celtic Should Judge the Derek McInnes Record, Not the Ibrox Club Hype

The Derek McInnes record as a first-team manager for almost 20 years is average at best.

During that time, he has won one Scottish League Cup with Aberdeen and Championship titles with St Johnstone and Kilmarnock.

Lawrence Shankland has been a senior professional for more than 12 years. His medal collection consists of a Scottish Championship title with Dundee United and a Scottish League One title with Ayr United.

Neither man has won the Scottish Premiership.

That is the backdrop as the new Ibrox club manager begins another attempt to stop Celtic’s dominance.

In the Daily Record McInnes has named Shankland as his captain. Explaining the decision, he said: “We need to share that load and that responsibility, both when things are going well and when they’re not.” He also added: “Ideally you want everyone to be able to handle that responsibility.”

Strong words are expected before a ball has been kicked.

The real question is whether the Derek McInnes record suggests Celtic should be worried.

Derek McInnes Record Shows a Familiar Pattern

The Derek McInnes record is built on consistency in cup competitions and promotion campaigns rather than Premiership titles.

Every summer the noise comes from across the city.The Ibrox club always seem to win the pre-season cup.

Friendly victories are celebrated like silverware. Each new manager is hailed as the man who will finally stop Celtic.

Every new captain is presented as the missing leader.

Every signing is labelled a statement of intent.

We’ve heard it all before.Last summer it was different promises.

This summer it is Derek McInnes.

Lawrence Shankland and talk of a new leadership culture.

Before a competitive ball has even been kicked, some are already predicting a title race transformed.

Celtic supporters have seen this cycle repeat itself time and again. The hype builds through July, the expectations soar, and reality has a habit of arriving once the Premiership campaign gets underway.

That’s why Celtic should judge Derek McInnes on his record, not on the latest wave of pre-season excitement.

This is a manager who has consistently failed to find a way to dethrone Scotland’s dominant club

Records Matter More Than Reputation

McInnes record is all hype. His actual record is mediocre.

He won the League Cup with Aberdeen and twice won promotion from the Championship. Those are genuine achievements.

But they are not the achievements of a manager who has conquered Scottish football.

After almost two decades in management, he has never won the Premiership.

Shankland too has won medals with championship clubs.

Yet he too has never lifted the Premiership trophy.

Ultimately, the Derek McInnes record suggests Celtic should respect the challenge but not fear it.

That is the reality behind the headlines.

Celtic Hold the Cards

Celtic should judge McInnes on his record, not on the hype surrounding his appointment.

The champions remain the team everyone is chasing.

History shows that every few years there is another supposed revolution at Ibrox. Another manager arrives with promises of restoring former glories. Another captain is asked to lead the charge.

The slogans change.

The expectations grow.

The outcome rarely does.

McInnes can talk about sharing responsibility throughout the squad, and that is sensible management. But leadership speeches do not win league titles.

Only results do.

Until McInnes proves he can consistently overcome Celtic over an entire Premiership campaign, there is little reason for anyone inside Celtic Park to lose sleep.

The pressure is not on Celtic.

It is on the man who has spent almost 20 years in management still searching for the one medal that truly matters.

The Derek McInnes record should be judged over nearly two decades rather than on pre-season optimism.