Derek McInnes has now spent 100 days as manager of Rangers, a club he grew up supporting, played for, and once turned down the chance to manage. His time in charge has brought major changes to the squad, but it began with difficulties, including the club's first failure to qualify for European football in a decade and criticism from fans. However, a strong run in September has turned the tide, with Rangers winning six games in a row, including two important victories in the Old Firm derbies against their rivals, Celtic. McInnes was appointed as Rangers' manager on 17 June, just over a month after his previous team, Heart of Midlothian (commonly known as Hearts), lost the Scottish Premiership title to Celtic on the final day of the previous season. He took over from Danny Rohl and said, "It is no secret that I grew up a Rangers supporter and I am convinced this is the right time to take on this prestigious role. There is a lot of hard work ahead." The new era started with a 1-1 draw against Dundee United on 31 July, where McInnes admitted the team was "not good enough to win." The European campaign began poorly with a 2-1 defeat to Jagellonia Bialystok in Poland on 6 August, and McInnes said the team "beat themselves." A home loss to Hibernian on 9 August saw a 2-1 defeat, with striker Youseff Chermitti suffering a serious ACL injury. McInnes defended the team, stating, "We're not as bad as people think." Rangers' European exit came on 16 August with a penalty shoot-out defeat by Jablonec, a result McInnes called "embarrassing." However, a victory at Pittodrie on 30 August marked McInnes' first Scottish Premiership win as manager, with a penalty from Liam Shankland. On 5 September, a 2-1 win against Falkirk was marred by a hamstring injury to Shankland, but McInnes noted, "We'd have taken any sort of win." A last-gasp goal from Bojan Miovski against St Mirren on 9 September extended Rangers' winning run, moving them into second place in the Premiership. The Old Firm victory on 13 September saw a 3-0 win over Celtic, with two goals from Dan Neill and a first for Kelsy. McInnes praised the performance, stating, "It was the performance and result we were all looking for." On 20 September, Rangers stunned Celtic with a 1-0 win at Celtic Park, with a goal from Ryan Nederi, moving them two points behind their rivals. McInnes reflected on the importance of the win, saying, "It's just three points and it gets us three points closer to Celtic." Former Rangers interim boss Barry Ferguson praised the team's resilience, noting that despite the challenges, the players "found a way to win," and the team is showing signs of togetherness.