The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Caixinha undecided over futures of Gers pair Miller and Hill
Ibrox boss still to decide whether to offer new deals to veterans
Kenny Miller and Clint Hill have been warned they will need to wait before discovering if they will be handed new deals by Rangers.
New Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha is still busy assessing his squad after being appointed earlier this month, with the veteran duo both out of contract this summer.
But managing director Stewart Robertson says it may still be some time yet before the Portuguese is ready to decide whether he wants 37-year-old frontman Miller and centre-half Hill, 38, to stay on next term.
Asked if the club had started contract talks, Robertson said: “We’re not even looking at that at the minute. It’s still very much about Pedro settling in.
“Once he gets to know the players he will start to look at things and assess things going forward.
“There is still plenty of time to go until the end of the season. We just need to let Pedro do what he is doing and things will happen from there.”
As well as running the rule over his new players, Caixinha has spent his first two-and-a-half weeks in charge interviewing for a ‘local’ coach to join his staff.
Former Rangers servants Barry Ferguson, Alex Rae, John Brown, Peter Lovenkrands and Jonatan Johansson are among those to have met the former Al-Gharafa boss.
And Robertson insists it will be the manager who makes the final call on the appointment.
“We’re not going to put a time-scale on it as he’s still interviewing candidates for that position but it will be sooner rather than later,” said Robertson, who also confirmed the club was stepping up its search for a director of football after missing out on first choice Ross Wilson.
“We had some names we could give to him and some others have applied.
“But it will be Pedro’s decision to make. He is going to have to work with the individual so it’s important Pedro is comfortable with them and feels he can build a relationship with them. It’s down to him to assess who he will work best with.”
Robertson confessed Caixinha’s appointment with three months of the campaign remaining was timed to ensure Rangers hit the ground running next term.
But he insists there remains plenty for the new manager to chase this term. He will get his first taste of Old Firm action on April 23 when they face Celtic in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final, while there is also second place in the Ladbrokes Premiership to be rescued if Aberdeen’s eight-point lead can be overturned.
With little time to waste, Caixinha has even cancelled his players’ usual day off as he looks to get his message across.
But Robertson reckons the new boss will take his time before shaking up his squad dramatically.
He said: “We’re delighted with how things have gone so far. He’s gradually making one or two changes but nothing radical. But he will be quite rightly making demands of us too. I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t.”