PEDRO A FAMILY GUY FOR RANGERS
FAMILY values are forming the basis of Pedro Caixinha’s bid to nurture a successful Rangers. Beyond the roles of coach, motivator and tactician, he views being a father figure to his players as essential to their improvement.
The Ibrox household Caixinha heads is drawn from different continents. Different languages — English, Portuguese and Spanish — soundtrack its meal times.
Caixinha communicates in them all. His belief is that taking a keen interest in the life of each of his charges — outside of the regular work topics — can help them grow in Glasgow. In turn, that can deliver meaningful contributions to a more unified collective.
Naturally, some have proved quicker than others to adapt to their new home. While Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos has already earned supporter admiration after seven goals in his last five appearances, a consistent impact is still awaited from Mexican pair Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera.
Caixinha insists he is calm about the situation. In the weeks and months ahead, the Ibrox manager will continue to try to strengthen relationships, identifying what each player needs to fulfil their potential.
Time will tell whether or not he succeeds in this paternal approach, but back-to-back wins against Ross County and Dundee have at least bought breathing space following a problematic start to the season.
‘Above the football player, you have a man,’ said Caixinha. ‘A social being, a human being, and he needs to be treated like that.
‘If I don’t get this sort of relationship, then maybe it is going to just be a professional relationship and I don’t want that to happen. I want them to be close to me, the way I am close to them.
‘For example, when I am having an interview process with them, and I know that some of their sons or daughters are sick, I follow it up. The day after I say to them: “Your son is better?” Or maybe they have some sort of investment, or they are building a new house — I follow that process.
‘They are really my sons and I spend more time with them than my real blood sons. That is the reality. I spend much more time here as a family than I do with my actual family. So that is the way we have to behave.
‘The process is dynamic, you will see that. Maybe when some of the guys who you rightly say are still adapting reach a good moment, some of the others might be coming down a bit.
‘What does a player need? Is it for me to spend more time one-on-one with him, talking about everything except football? Maybe they need that sometimes.
‘Maybe it is something about the specific physicality of the position he is playing on the pitch. Maybe he needs to understand something in different moments of the game, so I show a small video and say: “Look, just five metres here or there, this decision, that decision”.
‘That is my work on a daily basis, to understand how they are and what they need at this moment in time.’
Caixinha doesn’t play favourites. Although those who have arrived from Portugal or Mexico may have different issues, he seeks to devote the same attention to the Scottish and English players within his set-up.
‘I just need to treat them with equity,’ he added. ‘Each one wants different things but the treatment they expect from me has to be the same.
‘I have no difference between a younger one, an older one, the one who plays more, the one who plays left, the one who scores more goals, the one who doesn’t score more goals. I need them to be equal to all.’
Pena scored his first goal for Rangers after coming off the bench in last weekend’s 4-1 success against Dundee.
Tomorrow evening’s short trip to face Partick Thistle would, however, still seem too early for the £2million-plus signing from Chivas Guadalajara to earn a starting place.
‘Carlos is in a process of adaptation,’ said Caixinha. ‘He is still not there. I know what I am telling you, he is still not there.
‘But in the last two games, you saw it a little bit, what he can do in terms of arriving in the box and scoring goals. By having that desire to be involved where the ball is when the important moments of the game happen.
You need to understand that the game (against Dundee) was much more open, because we were winning, so he could express his best characteristics.
‘What we are trying to work is for him to understand when the game is tight he has to do things quicker. That is the last stage of his adaptation. It is much more difficult compared to the style of game he was playing in Mexico.
‘But Carlos can play in many different positions. He can be a shadow striker, he can come off the left like he did at Ross County. He can play with three in the middle or two in the middle, so he gives us a lot of options.
‘I know the player we are talking about and he still has a lot to give. It is a question of time.
‘He is working hard at it, he is getting more attentive, getting more knowledge about his teammates, about living in a foreign country, about having his family here.
‘We know he is moving in the right direction.’
One thing Caixinha believes all his players share is the right mindset. There was an angry reaction to the concession of a late Faissal El Bakhtaoui goal that denied Rangers a clean sheet last Saturday.
‘A winning mentality needs to be all of the time,’ added the Ibrox manager.
‘It would have been our second clean sheet in a row at Ibrox and then we do that, do you think I am going to be happy?
‘I want more. If we win 4-3, I am not going to be happy if we could have won 4-2 or 4-1.
‘If players don’t have quality, then for sure they will not be here. But if you ask me if I prefer mentality rather than quality, then I will sign below.
‘Because if you have a guy who is so skilful but does not have the mentality to play here, then maybe he cannot do it. We need to have a mix. And we have it.’