The perfect start for Pedro Caixinha

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The perfect start for Pedro Caixinha

Progress. It is the name of the game when it comes to life these days. How much better than the last one is the new one, whatever the ‘one’ is. When a consumer buys a new iPhone, is it better than the last one? Is their new computer faster than their old one? Is their new car WIFI enabled?

In football circles it is no different, and one of the best barometers of progress is by comparing how a team performs in the same circumstances in the same environment against the same team they failed against the last time out.

And to that end, Rangers fans could not have a better way to judge new Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha than by focusing on Saturday’s hosting of Hamilton. The last time Rangers played Martin Canning’s side at home in the league was the opening day of this season; and that performance and result set the tone for how life would pan out in Scotland’s top tier under Rangers’ ex-boss. On his debut in the SPL, he failed, miserably, as Scotland’s worst top-flight side (give or take with Inverness) gleaned a point in Govan.

On Pedro Caixinha’s debut in the SPL, he faces the same opponent, with mostly the same squad, at the same ground, in front of the same expectant fans, in the same tournament, with the same exact ramifications of the result.

It is the perfect litmus test for our new manager to begin life in Britain, and the best way for Rangers fans to see, even at this early stage, what we may be able to expect from our new gaffer.

When Walter Smith returned in 2007, his debut was a 5-0 tonking of Dundee Utd at Ibrox. That set the tone for his dominance over those following years. Naturally we do not expect similar dominance this time round (would be nice though!), but more often than not, how a regime starts is pretty much how it continues. Very rarely will a bad start by a Rangers manager be turned round to be a success.

So while the support for Ped the Ted is 100% pure and true, and we wish him the very best, we also need, and deserve, to see progress and fairly quickly at that – or, as it turns out, a definite continuation of the last three displays and results. This is not to demand a 5-0 thrashing (even if Murty managed it) on Saturday, but to see genuinely effective football again at Ibrox, with the dominance Caixinha preached during his media displays recently on show at the Hallowed Turf.

A new formation, possibly new personnel selections – all against the same side our last incumbent failed against. Whatever he selects must show the right direction.

Do not mistake this article as ‘getting on his back before he even takes the dugout’ – far from it, we need to give him support and he will get that, as he is. But this is Rangers, and he knows he needs to deliver – and we hope he does, achingly so.

Caixinha himself said, rather than his predecessor’s garbage about being ‘competitive’, that Rangers are about winning – the man has put pressure on himself with this assertion, and in all honesty he is right. Rangers fans wanting to give him time are Rangers fans who have different values to the ones I have – while I do not expect the league, I expect a serious fight for second place, and a damn good shot at the Cup – both of which Caixinha has stated are his goals.

The last manager (and PLG for that matter) showed how time will not work at Ibrox – that if you do not hit the ground running in the top flight you probably never will.

We hope Pedro’s trainers burn up the concrete come Saturday.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. He has said so much for get the next game Pedro you must beat Celtic in both games that are left nothing less than that,you see the big picture is put them out the Scottish cup show us your hand and then tell us what is to come

  2. I get exactly where you are coming from and there are a lot of comparisons that can be made, but at Rangers these days nothing is simple or straight forward. We should all be rooting and getting behind our new manager and he is taking over a team who have under performed all season, until Graeme Murty got through to them and got them believing. Our new man will have a team filled with confidence after the great fighting display on Sunday, and playing for your place under a new manager should fire them up even more.

    But, as we all know, anything Rangers is not plain sailing and I have lost count the number of times we build ourselves up only to have the rug tugged from under us….even this week the off field shenanigans are overtaking what's happening on and around the manager and team…..we all hear that players do not care about anything other than playing, it is the right thing to say, but yesterday is the first salvo of bad news heading our way which we can only hope does not turn their heads and they get stuck in and deliver, that's all we ask.

    GSTQ

  3. I am looking forward to knowing what his starting X1 will be. I wouldn't mind having Waghorn & Garner as a front two against Hamilton and have them knocking lumps out of their two centre halves who'll both know they were in a game. My team for Sat is: – 4-4-2
    Hodson, Senderos or Wilson, Hill, Wallace
    Tavernier or O'Halloran, Hyndman, Miller or Holt, McKay
    Waghorn & Garner

  4. He certainly made himself hostage to fortune by saying he has the best squad in the SPL. Whether true or not (I think not) if he doesn't win it next years people are entitled to ask why not.

  5. The below, I can understand from a motor-mouth windbag like Sutton, but I would have thought Hartson, who should know better, and who never played the villain much in the past, seems to be adopting the great unwashed attitude where a simple comment about his wide of the mark prediction of Sundays game was worthy of comment …."The result prompted one Rangers fan to take Hartson to task over his pre-game prediction – posting on Twitter: "you're not really the smartest of guys are you?" – to which the Welshman delivered the following strong response.

    "Smart enough not to to celebrate a draw like my life depended on it!," he replied. "How many points ?"…..

    Now excuse me, but the comment was a jibe at how far wrong he was and how the difference between the two is nowhere near as big as they hoped, whats wrong Johnny boy…starting to feel the heat a lil bit there are you?

    Someone in your position should run a mile from the crap that goes on in social media….do not fall into the same trap as Motor-mouth Sutton and believe your own hype…it doesn't become you.

    GSTQ

  6. Well if you are feeling better today, you know how things tend to go in threes, since a better performance on Sunday, we are reminded of three clouds, first there is trouble ahead for King and his lies regarding the takeover, then Warburten gets a new job, think of his job interview, the question around his departure, you can bet the legal case, probably along with Ashley for the first cloud above is coming and then the 3rd cloud, no I will leave that a week, it will make you wonder the drivel the new manager has actually been told. J

  7. J
    I believe the third will be played out in court today (Wed) and Thursday when the 'Big Tax Case' finally concludes…no idea what will happen there, yes people can point to the Old co, but according to many, we are the same co…whatever your thoughts on it, we will be in the headlines again and for all the wrong reasons…I await the outcome and the backlash, I hope Ped the Ted did his due diligence before signing on the dotted line, verified by at least two independent witness….

    GSTQ

  8. All 'real' rangers fans are fully aware of the legal mess we have with Ashely etc. etc. and it will take time … It is however refreshing to be discussing what Ped the Ted ( Like that guys !!) will set up for Saturday I cant wait it will be a good atmosphere , I hope we keep the same aggression and desire from Sunday Onwards WATP

  9. Mmm so who are you referring to regarding "real", all the best to the new manager, but as a real Rangers man, we are being told one lie after another and some of us are taken in with it, we will not be sorted until the spin King peddles is stopped J

  10. who would b running our club had king not involved? and im not a king fan.what we cant forget is mc Cann came to save celtic,That wee bastard whyte destroyed us without any concern,from bonds to paye.I beleive had he not then we would b stronger financially and dk would not b there.So u cant compare the two clubs fortunes due to this.The fat controller would have been removed from parkhead a long time ago.Lawells stand alone policy was get rid of the biggest threat to champions league fortunes and b much stonger when gers come back up, why else would they ignore 100+years of rivalry,risk tv money and retain credibility for our league internationally.

  11. i think the time to judge the board would b at the end of next season were they not to back the manager with a realistic budget. i dont buy into this talk of millions, i might b in the minority but sunday told me with the right manager,attitude and proper organisation the addition of a quality CB CM CFthen we will challenge next year.with the exception of the first game the others have been tight despite all media bullshit. take dembele and sinclair out that team and ur left with a team that got their manager sacked. 60 million in the bank dosent guarentee anything when u think what leicester were up against financially last year. it also dosent make u the top club either, what makes u the best is the trophies won ie. leagues trebles ect,not just 1 big diddy cup back 50 years ago.They have lived off it ever since.(talk aboot england).

  12. SCOOBY, the issue is not what is happening or happened in the East, had Mr King not been around you ask, well what has he actually done, my point is he is no better than Whyte, while all the time we had someone in Ashley who, before you say it, had his faults, like McCan he was willing to put his money in, just like King!?! J

  13. why don't we just go the whole hog and welcome trump while we are at it, he's got money. great PR.JOKING!

  14. Love it, worth starting a rumour, in fact Trump might just respond, cancel that , nae point we need players not wind turbines, but they might just work around the roof of the stands, unless of course it obscures his view to the East, this is starting to sound like a no brainer. J

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