Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LEE: WE ARE WITH YOU, BOSS Wallace backs under-fire Pedro
LEE WALLACE last night insisted the manner in which Pedro Caixinha has handled the flak aimed at him since becoming Rangers boss has inspired the Ibrox squad to deliver for their defiant gaffer.
Wallace feels Caixinha has had to deal with interrogations which Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers wouldn’t get but the squad has been motivated by the steadfast responses and refusal of his boss to buckle.
The Portuguese has constantly backed his men by declaring them the best squad in the country.
Caixinha has been ridiculed for that statement but his skipper feels that offering that level of belief has surged through the group and boosted them.
Wallace said: “We know as players that he is very strong in his ways. He will never deviate from how he works on the training pitch and he understands the scrutiny here.
“He has adjusted quite quickly to that, having come from the culture of the different countries he has worked in. He knows it’s a massive club and totally understands the scrutiny and the flak that will come his way.
“It has never changed him as a person. He’s really, really strong.”
When asked about the now-infamous BT Sport clash with Chris Sutton and his his Tv-panel colleagues after the game at Ross County three weeks ago, Wallace continued: “I remember watching the situation and I’m not sure if it was Brendan Rodgers standing next to the guys that that might have been the way that the questions were going.
“But these guys are in these jobs for these reasons and we will never complain about that.
“We just have to get on with it, keep fighting through that and understand that that is the way the things go, especially being at a top club.
“We are always ready for these kind of situations and I think the manager was quite strong and handled himself well. As an aspiring coach myself, I can totally understand where the manager is coming from.
“He is showing he has got top faith in his players as individuals and as a team. One day, we want to make sure that he is proved right.”
Rangers have a fully-fit squad ahead of the trip to Partick Thistle’s newly-renamed Energy Check Stadium.
The Ibrox men could go top of the table for a few hours at least if they can overcome Alan Archibald’s team.
Left-back Declan John is still waiting to make his Gers debut after sealing a deadline-day loan move from Cardiff.