Caixinha must be wary of outcasts

hard line on discipline, and has been ordered to stay away from the training ground.

And Rae, who experienced a similar situation as manager of St Mirren, says that Caixinha has to tread carefully to avoid disgruntled players becoming the enemy within.

“We have all been at clubs where you are made to come in early or late, been asked to travel to reserve games in the back and beyond, it’s just a tactic from the management team to try and force players out of the door,” Rae said.

“The issue they have is that these players are on so much money. It’s a different kettle of fish if it’s players on a few hundred quid when the manager had all the power.

“These days it’s about the player and it’s about what suits them, and they’ll sit tight until the club comes up with a compromise.

“The hardest part will be trying to get the players who aren’t in his plans out of the door as some of them are on two and threeyear contracts.

“It’s just the nature of the game and it’s a battle of wits but agents are very much a part of that game.

“How poisonous that will be depends and whether Pedro shifts them on the youth department.

“I know the youth department probably won’t want them either because they want nurture young kids and they won’t want senior players moping about.”

Rae hopes that the hiring of director of football Mark Allen may help to facilitate the exit of high-earning players by removing the onus for getting them out of the Ibrox door from Caixinha’s shoulders alone.

“If you are talking about a guy on a three-year deal earning seven grand a week then it’s the best part of a million quid, less tax,” he said.

“You aren’t t alking about buttons and there’s a new director of football been brought in and I’d imagine that’ll be part of his remit to try and facilitate these players out the door and it takes it out of the manager’s hands.

“It takes the personal side away from it.”