Derek McInnes will manage Rangers at Celtic Park for the first time this Sunday, returning to the scene of a dramatic title loss that cemented his status as a figure of intense dislike among the home support. The Old Firm derby arrives as an early-season six-pointer, with Celtic leading the Premiership by five points from their second-placed rivals. McInnes last visited the east end of Glasgow on 16 May, when his then-club Hearts lost the league title in a final-day shootout. Daizen Maeda's 87th-minute winner for Celtic that day sent the home side top and sparked a pitch invasion, an event that remains a raw memory for supporters. Police Scotland later released images of individuals involved in the post-goal incursion, and former player Pat Nevin apologised for the reported assault of Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland by invading fans. Celtic fans have since directed songs at McInnes, including chants for him to 'cheer up' during their Scottish Cup win in May, before he had swapped Hearts for the Ibrox hotseat. Some supporters view the 55-year-old as the personification of Rangers and a guardian of the so-called 'Order of the Brown Brogue', with his perceived animosity potentially heightened by a video from his younger days. He may be the most disliked Rangers manager among Celtic fans since Graeme Souness, a sentiment that contrasts with the targeting of pensioner Martin O'Neill by some the previous weekend. McInnes, who has managed over 800 career games, acknowledged the unique atmosphere. "Sometimes, all that can be a wee bit overhyped and too much chat about it," the Rangers manager said. "Once the game starts, it's almost a bit of a relief." The match will be played in front of zero away fans, with Hearts having had 752 tickets for the fateful May encounter. Celtic's form has been mixed, sitting top of the league with 18 points from six wins but coming off back-to-back defeats. Their most recent result was a 3-1 home loss to Ferencvarosi TC on Thursday, with Mika Baur scoring a 44th-minute consolation. That followed a 3-0 defeat at Ibrox just last weekend, where D. Neil scored twice for Rangers. The team will be without the injured Yang Hyun-Jun, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota for the derby. Top scorer C. Durán, with three goals this season, will be a key figure as Celtic look to extend their five-point lead at the summit. The fixture list shows a quick chance for revenge, with the next match at home to Rangers scheduled for Sunday, 20 September. A full rundown of the upcoming schedule is available on our fixtures page.
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