Is THIS why Rangers chose Pedro?

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Is THIS why Rangers chose Pedro?
 Article by: Richard Fillingham

We now realise why Rangers chose new Portuguese manager Pedro Caixinha to take over the reins at Ibrox. During his interview with the board, it has become obvious to me that he convinced them that he had all the right credentials and had also earned the right to manage and coach at a huge club the size of Rangers.

He must have promised the board that come the close season he would be in a great position to upgrade the inferior players he had inherited at the club from the dreadful Mark Warburton who very nearly relegated Nottingham Forest once we showed him the door for letting us all down so badly.

He must have assured the board that he had the knowledge and an abundance of exceptional contacts of all the available players from Portugal and Mexico that he had known well from spending his management time in these countries. He knew the players who he would have an excellent chance of persuading to come and strut their stuff at Govan, Glasgow.

Most of his targets are either players he knows very well and rates highly or the ones that have already worked and played for him at other clubs. He undoubtedly
is rated as a coach and manager in the countries where he has worked in, as the players all seem to want to join him at Ibrox.

(Reputed to sign this week) José Abella was an important Mexican U21 player who Pedro rates as a top class 23-year-old right-back with the potential to become a full internationalist in the near future. Caixinha’s admiration for Abella is well-known, as he was part of the Santos Laguna team that the Rangers manager steered to winning the Liga MX Clausura title in 2015. If José settles well he could play in Scotland for many years to come.

Bruno Alves – Hopefully the big prize.

Forget the fact he is 35, Bruno Alves is probably the club’s biggest statement of intent in the transfer market. Bruno is a defender who has operated at the highest level of European football for well over a decade and has enjoyed a good season with Cagliari in Serie A. He is a powerful stopper, who thrives in winning aerial duels and will add steel to our new side. He won Euro 2016 with Portugal and he is
being touted for the captaincy next season.

Fabio Cardoso who just turned 23 in April, is a very promising 6’ 1.5”, centre back who played 55 games for the Benfica B team over a few years and in season 2015-16, he was sent out on loan to Paços de Ferreira, based in a district of Porto and he featured in 38 games, where he caught the bug for playing first team football.

It was whilst in Porto that Fabio took the decision to leave the Benfica B team to experience regular first team football, which he felt was necessary to establish his football career quicker than Benfica were planning for him. He has been chosen by Pedro to pair up with Bruno Alves as our new Portuguese defensive partnership.

Carlos Peña, the 27-year-old, highly rated 5’10” Mexican international midfielder should be another great signing. The centre of the park is an area that Pedro clearly identified as one that required immediate attention, and the strength and power of Peña will certainly provide some much-needed steel to the spine of his team.

Ryan Jack the 25-year-old, central midfielder has signed for us on a free transfer and the bad blood between Rangers and Aberdeen will no doubt last throughout the summer. His grit and skill in the engine room was desperately required. He’ll no doubt get dog’s abuse at Pittodrie for years to come, because he had the audacity to improve himself, but Ped the Ted won’t care as long as can make a big difference to the ‘Gers.

Daniel Candeias is a 28-year-old Portuguese winger who is currently playing for Turkish club Alanyaspor and is said to be signing for Rangers this week.

Dálcio is a young Portuguese international player who is 5’ 8” tall and just turned 21 and is an outstanding winger / forward who was playing for the Benfica B team and was showing unbelievable potential. He has signed a one-year-loan-deal with the light blues.

Eduardo Herrera, a 28-year-old, 6’ 2”, Mexican striker who has also signed for the ‘Gers. He was on loan to Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz from Pumas de la UNAM, who play in the Liga MX (Mexico’s Premier League).

Graham Dorrans is from Glasgow, and turned 30 in May. He is a Scottish international footballer who wants to play for his life-long blue nose team and we love players like that – as long as they are great players of course. Rangers have now upped their initial offer of around £750,000 to £1M to try and get him.

We also have to try and convince Norwich to get him off their sky high wage bill,
Although I have a sneaky suspicion that the minimum they will accept is £1.2m.

The Norwich fans want to keep hold of him because they rate him so highly. He scored six goals in 24 matches for the Canaries in a season disrupted by a knee ligament injury he picked up on Boxing Day. He is fully fit now, so let’s hope he is the next to sign on the dotted line.

Caixinha has worked hard, fast, and impressively to seal a number of deals for new players – this clinical nature is clearly a major reason Rangers wanted him, along with his evident ability to recruit high-quality players from both his homeland and elsewhere.

With luck, the team he builds could actually have a fighting chance in the SPL next season – whether it is a fist at the title or not, Rangers are constructing a squad which is instilling pride back in the fans.

Keep it up!

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18 COMMENTS

  1. The fact that most, if not all of the overseas players were on the next flight to Glasgow to sign for Rangers and Pedro says a lot about his credentials as a coach and these players have not come here to be successful just in Scotland, they want success in |Europe too for the 'shop window'. win-win.

    • Defo agree on that score.. Pena wants back in the International set up for next World Cup – Herrera likewise plus he likes Ped. Morelos if he gets a work permit will defo use Rangers to show case his talent. Cardosa wants to make the next step up to International and playing in Europe all these guys will be hungry to succeed simple as and will bust a gut.. While our own youngsters will learn from them it's a positive move…

  2. Don't think Abella is being looked at anymore. But I really do have a good feeling about the signings so far. I'm convinced Pedro knows his stuff but whilst making the wise decision to come early to rangers, he also had to work with a bunch of players that he never would have signed himself. I think the style of player he has sanctioned so far proves this.

    Cautiously optimistic

  3. It is definitely a gamble imo, i had mentioned in an earlier comment that if Pedro is successful then a big thumbs up to the board and Dave King( at least money is being spent) On the flip side if he doesnt do well and gets sacked (most likely from fan pressure) then what we have is a squad of foreign players that he knows well and they will be loyal to him , but a future replacement would not know. If this happens then we will be back to square one and ground would have been lost in hopefully catching Celtic before 10 in a row. We cant afford to start again from a playing squad and financial point of view. I feel excited and worried at the same time. Here's hoping someone at Ibrox knows what they are doing. WATP

    • If the Club doesn't do well what compared to last season? I've not got a crystal ball but I'll put a bet on we finish higher than 3rd and a cup in the bag for next season. Your point about the players and foreign that can happen at any Club mate.. Not a great deal of English players in the EPL teams now is there and Mangers come and go.. Rangers have to take a gamble and with the players coming in they want to prove themselves on a bigger stage get their International careers going.. ! If that means using Rangers as a stepping stone make a good few quid on sales then it's a winner mate.. While some will stay I hope 👍

    • my point is it is a gamble, lets be honest how many of these guys u heard of ? alves is proven, cardoso seems to have a pedigree with his appearences. the 2 mexicans may well be good players but being loaned about mexico at the ages of 27/28 doesnt fill me with hope especially with the quoted 4mil combined transfer fee. same feeling about the 29 y/o winger. i like 2 think i know a bit about football but i havent heard of him and cant find out much online. the young columbian looks to have decent stats and is a young investment. dalcio on loan is fine as a squad player but more of a winger after 2 goals in 68 game 4 benfica B team. jack is proven. pedro certainly didnt seem to have much of a gameplan at the end of the season and his press approach was very strange, especailly before playing killie and aberdeen. my point is this is a gamble at a time when squad assets dont add up to much, money is tight and 1 wrong move at this point in our rebuild could leave us stuck in 3rd or even 4th. at this point last year wee were mostly all wetting our pants about beating celtic in the cup and our manager being the best thing since sliced bread(boom boom ). with barton, rossiter, o halloran, kranjar, garner and co leading us to the promised land when in fact we got saved from 5th or 6th by 36/37 y/o miller and hill. to say i am a bit war wounded is a understatement. i wish for nothing else but 2 see us succeed but i am sceptical. mixed feelings and i hope your right , WATP

    • Like you I knew of Alves and remember Pena from his World Cup game. Herrera I hadn't heard of and Cardosa but he's played in a decent league. I'll also admit I never heard of half the players Warburton signed from the English leagues Crooks – Windass Jnr – Kiernan. For what it's worth I never wanted Barton near the Club ( he's a prick ) or Kranjcar as I thought his best was behind him.. It's understandable to be cautious with all that's happened at Ibrox mate. My only concern is that the Team gel quick enough but Ped can help them settle in quicker with the language barrier..Any manager would have brought their own players in and still run the same risk as you say a gamble..We just need to be patient look at the trouble Fergie had at Man U he was one game from the sack – the rest is history..No Rangers fan ever wants to see their team fail I'm no different mate 👍

  4. Very valid points Richard. I'll put my hand up and said bring back Murty out of anger and frustration after the last OF ( knee jerk reaction ). Ped has brought in a better calibre of players from better leagues than Warburton – the question stands will they gel as a team that's big one. He's getting the business done quick which is remarkable and nobody has knocked Rangers back yet ( Patterson maybe ). Having them signed early and starting training early we just have a chance. Morelos you ain't mentioned? Abella that's dead in the water..Walker still being touted for Ped also

    For one I think Europe and getting through those rounds is a big ask of any Manager if Rangers get to round 2 that's not bad. I'd rather go out and the team get the chance to concentrate on the SPL and Cups.. The following season look to make the Group stages..

    By the way the new Lionbrand tops look quality 👌🇬🇧

  5. When he was being talked about in the media about getting the job this is what exited me about him. This is why i have not complained to much about the performances after he took over. His passion and managerial skill will come out now that he has his own players in place. Does this not excite my fellow bears more than league one and two down south? Imagine the 3 million pound championship wash ups the old donkey would have signed.
    Not going to get ahead of myself but i can say i am buzzing about watching the first games of the season.

  6. Pardon my caution but we had the same euphoria with Warburton signings and that didn't work out well. So lets see what they can do. If he gets results from the get go I will become one of his cheer leaders but as is said the proof is in the pudding

    • murty steadied the ship in our time of need and if i remember rightly he was undefeated, drawing with celtic into the bargain. the players seemed 2 play for him as well.

  7. 20 minutes into official BST and mother nature takes its course like every other year and guarantees that The Cooncil starts cutting the grass and We (bluenoses) start kiddin ourselves on that every spring signing is of a superior standard of player and that common sense necessarily dictates that we seriously anticipate doing wonderful things on the park next season, unfortunately I canny take that particular happy pill as I am too long in the tooth and seen it all before

    The old black hat / white hat stuff is also alive and well and making its customary summer appearance too in respect of The Loaf being an arsehole (which he certainly is by the way) and Ped being the gallant saviour, whereas couple of years ago Ally donned the black hat and The Loaf was crowned with the other one and was applauded by US when he went on to sign 316 minted players and 314 of them turned out to be pure pish

    I sincerely hope and pray that we end up with a good squad of players who, over time, will gel into a real force and challenge the manky mob for real but the honest truth is that 99.9% of us, in reality, dont know bugger all about these guys and just because they cost a few bob more than last summers pub team signings doesn't guarantee a bleedin thing and the relatively high cost of these guys, by our current financial state, to us by comparison is basic beer money to most EPL & Euro clubs so if they are that good why are they coming to damp, grey, dreary and beautiful old Glesga

    As for Ped, the jury is still out as far as I am concerned as thus far he has not done or said anything that has particularly impressed me and its getting to the stage where some Bears appear to be psycho analysing his apparent secret/silent cunning plans for footballing domination

    Apologise if coming across as a greetin faced auld git and genuinely hope my cynicism turns out to be unfounded and if so I will be the first to admit it and re-dress the issue on these pages,

    After all it wouldny be the first time I was woefully wrong re- Rangers issues as I was positive that SOMEBODY! was ultimately going to be legally held responsible and end up in The Big Hoose for the skullduggery surrounding 2012 but appears ALL culprits involved can now sleep tight every night in their mock tudor mansions, and you canny get ANY MORE WRONG than that!

    Keep the ba on the grass guys – WATP

    • Big Tam less of the auld mate.. You've got an opinion just like the rest of us which is fair and honest.. I do hope Ped and the signings prove you wrong but in a good way lol…Onwards & Upwards

  8. Every manager and signing is a gamble some more so than others but I for one am cautiously optimistic this is exactly what I hoped for when appointed pedro some good quality Portuguese and Mexican talent instead of lower league English duds and btw ppl gotta get this idea out of their heads that murty was some sort of mourinho he wasn't undefeated like a earlier "fan" said he lost back to back games to inverness (finished bottom of league) and Dundee (who Aberdeen skelped 7-0)

    • admittedly i got his record wrong but the sacking of Warbs and weir was a shock to the team and he did well in hard circumstances and did have good results. I am not saying he should be manager only replying to the question what has murty ever done for us, The answer is steadied the ship in difficult times. Need to check my facts before posting 🙂

  9. Wasn't meaning you in particular just seems a lot of fans hailed murty as some sort of a genius despite only steadying the ship yet wrote Pedro off after couple of matches

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