Derek McInnes has been told that he now has a better shot at winning the treble at Rangers after developments this season.

Things did not particularly begin well for the 55-year-old at Ibrox, both in the league and Europe, but he has managed to turn things around and even go on a seven-game winning run.

Mark Hateley believes Derek McInnes can guide Rangers to a treble with no Europe

Rangers legend Mark Hateley sees early European exits as a blessing in disguise for McInnes’ side, arguing that extra time on the training ground has already produced massive strides and that a treble remains realistic. Their arch rivals Celtic have had to deal with two games a week on a few occasions, and that has taken a toll on their domestic performances.

On the other hand, McInnes’ team has gone unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions, recording wins over Celtic home and away while building momentum ahead of the Premier Sports Cup final against Hibernian on 13 December.

Hateley, who knows better than most the pressure that comes with the blue shirt, believes the forced domestic focus has allowed the manager and players to forge a stronger understanding. He has stressed the need for patience and the importance of securing that first piece of silverware before any talk of a clean sweep of the three domestic trophies.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, he said: “Time is no friend to anybody at this football club. So, we’re going in the right direction, finding out a lot about players right now. I think we’ve made massive strides under Derek in a short space of time. So, you know, fingers crossed we keep doing that.

“I was at the game when we got knocked out of Europe, and my first thoughts were that this could be a blessing in disguise. More time on the training ground, getting to know your players.

“I kind of probably got knocked out of Europe, so, oh, we could probably do a treble now, just like that. And I probably stand by that, but you have to win your first thing first.

“So focus on getting across the line, your first cup. You put that in the trophy room and you build on that.”