DEREK McInnes was pleased Rangers could show their competitive side as they defeated AS Saint-Étienne 2-1 in a friendly at Ibrox this evening.
With just over a week until the first Scottish Premiership fixture, the manager says there are still parts to work on as he prepares his team for a trip to Tannadice.
Speaking to RangersTV at full-time, he said: “I am pleased we have won the game; I think we showed the competitive side of the team. There were a lot of spells I wasn't happy with and a bit frustrated with, but we were up against a smooth and technical team who overloaded the middle of the pitch, and it was clear we had to address that at half-time.
“I thought we got off to a good start with good pressure and good moments in that first five or ten minutes, and then we lost a bit of confidence when they managed to break through our press.
“They had a couple of half-chances before they managed to score, so it was no real surprise really in what we were watching that they equalised. I think they thoroughly deserved that.
“At half-time we addressed what we needed to address, and I thought we were far more competitive. I thought Cammy made a big difference in the sense that he won more tackles in 10/15 minutes than we had seen in the first-half and sometimes you just need to get a bit of momentum and show the crowd that you are in the game.
“We were up against a team who are well drilled; they play on trigger presses, and they try to overload the middle of the pitch, but I thought their influence on the game was far less. I thought we had a bit more element of control without being open and expansive and brilliant ourselves, but it was good to get the win.”
With a number of players playing 90 minutes tonight, McInnes said it was vital to ensure his team are ready.
He continued: “Sometimes as a new manager going into a club you want to try and be fair to everybody. Every day for me is an audition to play.
“I don't have the luxury of being able to give everybody the minutes that they want because I've got to get enough of the squad and the team ready for next Friday.
“Having been a player myself, I know what I want; I know that I want at least two or three 90 minutes before that first game proper because it can catch you out if you are undercooked.
“I am conscious that some lads didn't get on tonight, and they have been working hard, but I've got to make sure there's enough of the starting XI ready, so I don't make any apologies for that.
“I am pleased with the fitness of some, and I think that will be another step and 90 minutes for the players in their legs today, and they'll feel better for that going into West Ham and then hopefully, as a consequence, will be ready for Dundee United.”
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