McInnes hoping for confidence-boosting win at Tannadice

Derek McInnes believes a Rangers victory over Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership curtain-raiser on Friday night would be a "good step" in his first game in charge. McInnes moved from Hearts to Rangers earlier this summer having been pipped to the Premiership title by Celtic last season. McInnes is ready for "the real stuff" to get under way after a 2-1 friendly win at home to French side Saint-Etienne and a goalless draw against West Ham at Ibrox in pre-season. "Friendlies serve their purpose and I'm glad they're over so we can get down to the real stuff," McInnes said. "We still have work to do, but I'm delighted with what we've managed in terms of signings and the effort the players have put in. "They've worked extremely hard, been very willing to listen and do what we're asking, and they've been first-class in terms of effort. "As a staff, we need to help them along and winning games helps, especially for a young team. "Getting that early confidence, starting with a win at Dundee United away, would be a good step for us, but we know it will be a tough match. "I've got full admiration for all Premiership managers, but Jim has done well over a sustained period and is very experienced. "There's a lot of turnover at many clubs every summer now and he's clearly dipped into different markets – Eastern Europe and more recently a lot of Australian and New Zealand lads. "He's recruited from a variety of areas, like many clubs do, but he always gets a tune out of his teams and they're always difficult opponents." [BBC]