Celtic Pressure Is Building – McInnes’ Staunch Bravado Won’t Last Long

Derek McInnes loves the bravado.

The gestures, the soundbites and the chest-out confidence all appear designed to tell the Ibrox gallery that he understands exactly what they want.

He’s staunch. He’s one of them. He knows the expectations.

At least, that’s the performance.

In my opinion, however, much of McInnes’ behaviour since taking the job has looked increasingly performative.

The problem with playing to the gallery is simple: eventually you have to produce results.

And suddenly that gallery isn’t looking particularly impressed.

Celtic pressure exposes McInnes’ bravado

Before competitive football started, McInnes declared:

“I don’t see why we can’t have the ambition to win a title this season.”

Big words.

Three competitive matches later, he remains without a victory.

His side have one Premiership point from six and sit five points behind Celtic already.

That famous “We Are The People” superiority suddenly looks rather hollow when Celtic continue doing the actual winning.

McInnes’ behaviour against Dundee United also caught my attention.

There he was on the pitch after the game, involved in the post-match confrontation.

To me, it looked like another piece of theatre.

Be seen fighting the cause. Look suitably staunch. Play to the gallery.

That might earn applause temporarily.

Results decide whether a manager survives.

Nearly 20 years without a Premiership title

This is where the McInnes mythology deserves scrutiny.

His managerial career began in 2007. He has managed St Johnstone, Bristol City, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Hearts and now the Ibrox club.

He has won the Scottish First Division, Scottish Championship and one Scottish League Cup.

However, McInnes has never won Scotland’s top-flight championship as a manager.

That’s the glaring hole in the CV.

Now he’s managing a support that expects to win everything while Celtic have dominated Scottish football for much of the modern era.

How long will the staunch bravado survive if that continues?

Some supporters are already discussing whether he’ll even make Halloween.

McInnes is already talking about frustration

Then came Sunday’s 2-1 defeat against Hibernian.

McInnes insisted:

“We’re not as bad as people think.”

He also complained his side had been “mugged off”.

Then came perhaps the most revealing comment:

“It’s been 15 years here of frustration. I share the frustration.”

Fifteen years?

McInnes has been in the job for weeks and he’s already reaching backwards to explain the anger surrounding the club.

That swagger suddenly doesn’t look quite so convincing.

The pressure at Ibrox is different. The expectation is enormous and patience appears almost non-existent.

McInnes can talk staunch. He can perform staunch. He can play to the gallery and tell supporters precisely what they want to hear.

But he cannot talk his way to three points.

Celtic are already five points ahead.

The gallery is getting restless.

And that McInnes bravado might disappear considerably faster than anyone expected.