Derek McInnes has revealed his managerial blueprint for Rangers is still shaped by notes he made during his first job at St Johnstone. The 55-year-old former Rangers midfielder will put those principles to the test when his current side host St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday.

McInnes took his first steps in management at McDiarmid Park in 2007, moving from the dressing room to the hotseat after Owen Coyle and Sandy Stewart left for Burnley. He helped the Perth side win promotion in his first full season and looks back on that period as a formative experience. "I still look at my notes from stuff that I wanted to do, a lot of fundamentals as a manager," McInnes said. He keeps a notepad that he adds to regularly as a reminder of what is important.

Core values from Perth

Those early notes covered core values about how a club, its staff and its players need to work together. McInnes emphasized respect and how he expects his team to look both on and off the pitch. He said he enjoyed his time at St Johnstone and thanked them for giving a young manager an opportunity. The club had a reputation for trusting emerging coaches, and McInnes said he still works strongly towards those same fundamentals today.

Title chase context

His philosophy is being applied to a Rangers side sitting second in the Premiership with 20 points from nine games, having recorded six wins and two draws. They are four points behind leaders Celtic and carry an unbeaten run of five matches into the weekend, with their last result a 2-2 draw at Dundee where Badredine Bouanani and Nicolas Raskin were on the scoresheet. This follows a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock where Ryan Naderi scored twice. Key to that form has been striker Naderi, the team's top scorer this season with four goals. The team has scored 13 goals and conceded seven so far this campaign. The next challenge is a home game against a St Johnstone team currently fifth in the table on Saturday 24 October.

McInnes took over at Ibrox this summer after previous managerial roles at Bristol City, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Hearts. He mentioned there are tactical things he wants his Rangers team to master as the title race intensifies. The squad's full fixtures list shows a busy period ahead, starting with the visit from his old club. Rangers aim to maintain their momentum and close the gap at the top when they play St Johnstone on 24 October.

Background and full detail: heraldscotland.com