BREAKING NEWS: Rangers FC Turn the Page After St Mirren Rout as Old Firm Clash and European Fight Take Centre Stage
GLASGOW, August 18, 2026 — Rangers FC have suddenly found themselves at the centre of Scottish football’s biggest storylines after a dramatic weekend victory changed the mood around Ibrox.
Derek McInnes finally recorded his first competitive victory as Rangers manager in emphatic fashion, with the Light Blues destroying St Mirren 5-1 in the Premier Sports Cup. The result not only provided a badly needed boost after a difficult opening to the campaign, but also set up a mouth-watering Old Firm quarter-final against Celtic.
The latest development is that Rangers will host Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday, September 13, at 12 noon, giving McInnes an enormous early test against his club’s fiercest rivals. The fixture will be his first Old Firm derby as Rangers boss, adding another layer of pressure and excitement to what is already shaping up to be a pivotal period for the club.
McInnes finally gets his breakthrough
Rangers’ start under McInnes had been anything but straightforward. The manager arrived with expectations enormous enough to make every disappointing result feel like a crisis, and the early European setback only intensified the scrutiny.
But the 5-1 victory over St Mirren provided the response Rangers supporters had been demanding.
The performance was particularly significant because Rangers did not simply scrape through. They attacked with greater intensity, played with more confidence and produced the kind of football that suggested McInnes’ ideas may finally be beginning to take shape.
James Penrice was among the standout performers on his Rangers debut, scoring and assisting as the home side overwhelmed St Mirren. Djeidi Gassama also impressed with his attacking threat, while several younger players demonstrated the energy McInnes wants from his squad.
For a club under enormous pressure to challenge domestically, the timing could hardly have been better.
Celtic showdown confirmed
The victory has now been followed by another major announcement: Rangers and Celtic will meet in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals.
The match at Ibrox is scheduled for September 13 at midday.
For Rangers supporters, it is much more than another cup tie. It is an opportunity to measure McInnes’ progress against the club’s biggest rival and potentially establish a new direction for the season.
Celtic also advanced convincingly, defeating Dundee United 4-0, meaning both sides enter the quarter-final with confidence.
The atmosphere around Ibrox is therefore expected to be intense. Rangers will have the home advantage, but Celtic will arrive knowing that eliminating their rivals could deliver an early psychological blow in the battle for domestic honours.
European football remains crucial
While the Old Firm fixture is grabbing headlines, Rangers still have another major objective.
The club’s European campaign has taken a difficult turn. Rangers were eliminated from the Europa League qualifying stage by Jagiellonia Bialystok, leaving them to fight for a place in the Conference League.
That makes the upcoming two-legged play-off against Jablonec extremely important.
Failure to reach the Conference League group stage would represent another significant disappointment for a club that expects to compete regularly in European football.
Rangers have already submitted their squad for the crucial tie, although the club still has the possibility of adding eligible players before the UEFA deadline. Injuries and squad limitations have made recruitment particularly important.
Transfer pressure increases
The transfer market has also become a major talking point at Ibrox.
Rangers have already made significant additions to the squad, but the club continues to search for further attacking options after injuries disrupted McInnes’ plans.
One of the biggest stories has been the collapse of the proposed move for PSV winger Couhaib Driouech. Rangers had reportedly agreed a deal worth up to £7 million, but concerns raised during the player’s medical examination ultimately brought the transfer to an end.
Driouech has since spoken publicly about the disappointment, while Rangers have moved their attention elsewhere.
The club is reportedly considering other winger options, with Amario Cozier-Duberry among the names being discussed. Rangers are also searching for a striker after Youssef Chermiti suffered a serious ACL injury.
Chermiti’s injury is particularly damaging because the striker was coming off a productive previous campaign. His absence leaves McInnes with an important attacking problem to solve, especially with domestic and European fixtures arriving quickly.
Kosta Nedeljkovic adds another twist
Another major transfer development concerns Aston Villa defender Kosta Nedeljkovic.
The young right-back is reportedly set to join Rangers on a season-long loan that includes an obligation to buy worth around £4 million. The move would provide Rangers with another energetic option at right-back as the club adjusts to changes in its defensive structure.
Nedeljkovic’s arrival would also demonstrate that Rangers are continuing to plan beyond the immediate campaign.
The club needs a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts, and the right recruitment could determine whether McInnes is able to turn the team’s promising moments into sustained success.
A difficult season can still become a successful one
There is no denying that Rangers have endured a turbulent opening.
European disappointment, injuries, transfer complications and pressure on a new manager have created a challenging environment.
Yet the 5-1 victory over St Mirren has changed the conversation.
Instead of focusing exclusively on what has gone wrong, supporters can now look ahead to a European play-off and an Old Firm quarter-final.
The immediate challenge is maintaining the intensity displayed against St Mirren. One impressive performance cannot solve every problem, but it can provide the foundation for improvement.
McInnes now has the chance to build momentum.
The manager will know that the Celtic match is already looming over the campaign, but before that comes the responsibility of ensuring Rangers qualify for European competition and continue developing their new style.
Rangers supporters demand a response
The expectations surrounding Rangers remain enormous.
The club’s supporters want trophies, European nights and memorable victories against Celtic. They also want a team that plays with authority and personality.
The St Mirren result offered the first glimpse of that possibility under McInnes.
Now comes the harder part: proving it was not a one-off.
With Celtic waiting in the cup, Jablonec standing between Rangers and the Conference League, and the transfer window still providing opportunities for further strengthening, the next few weeks could define the early stages of McInnes’ Rangers reign.
For now, the mood at Ibrox is considerably brighter.
Rangers have finally produced the result their new manager needed. The Old Firm derby has been confirmed. European football remains within reach. Recruitment is continuing.
The pressure, however, has not disappeared.
It has simply changed.
And with Celtic coming to Ibrox on September 13, Rangers now have perhaps their biggest opportunity yet to prove that the 5-1 demolition of St Mirren was the beginning of something much bigger.
The message from Ibrox is clear: Rangers are back in the fight, and the biggest tests are still to come.
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