McInnes urges improvement after Naderi seals Rangers’ place in League Cup final

Rangers manager Derek McInnes watched Ryan Naderi's late winner send his side into the League Cup final at Hampden Park on 31 October 2026, overcoming Aberdeen in the semi-final. Despite the result, McInnes called for more from his players.

McInnes stands one match away from delivering a first major trophy in charge at Ibrox at the first time of asking. The former Hearts, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen boss is pursuing just his second major trophy after more than 800 matches in various dugouts and has overseen a run that has reached 11 games unbeaten.

That unbeaten sequence has included seven clean sheets, with Olwethu Makhanya noted for consistent performances at centre-half, and another shutout against Aberdeen was useful given their inability to convert chances. Rangers dominated possession in the semi-final but required a late goal to settle the contest.

Rangers had 74% possession and registered 25 shots, but only five were on target until Naderi tapped in on 83 minutes to make it 1-0 at Hampden. "The job was to get the team and the club into a cup final and it's job done by hook or by crook," McInnes told BBC Scotland. "The stats will show possession, 25 shots, but to only have five shots on target isn't good enough. "Those stats are similar to what we see most weeks in terms of not enough shots on target and it's bad decision-making. "It's such an important goal for us to get into the final but we do need to improve. "Hopefully between now and then [the final] we can keep winning games but there has to be an obligation from all of us to try and get better performances."

Naderi arrived from the German third tier in February and, after an unconvincing spell last season, his Hampden winner added to a collection of vital goals that includes the strike in the 1-0 league win at Celtic Park. His tally of eight goals this season has been productive and, in the absence of Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti, his contributions have been important to Rangers' progress. "Naderi is just a man that is completely transformed this season," former Ibrox midfielder Andy Halliday insisted. "Not only is he complimenting that work ethic that's always been there but with goals and effectiveness at the top end of the pitch, it's that man again who comes up with the goods."

On Naderi's role, McInnes said: "He is a bit of a parasite in the sense that he thrives off service. We just need to put more balls in the box for him but balls with a bit more quality. He's been a big game player for us already this season."

The demand at Rangers for silverware remains clear: the club has won just three major trophies since 2012, a context McInnes referenced when stressing expectations. "We know the importance of getting to finals time and time again," McInnes said. "This needs to be our norm year in year out, that we arrive at Hampden and we put ourselves in a position to lift silverware. "If you don't win this [the semi-final] then question marks hang over and it's hard to keep the the noise quiet. "It gives the supporters something to look forward to, it keeps a feel-good factor about the club. "I think every team has got the ability to improve and I certainly feel that way with this team."

Either Hearts or Hibernian will be Rangers' opponents in the final in December.