Caixinha delighted as Rangers gear up for big kick-off with comfortable victory
SHEFFIELDWEDNESDAY 0 2
Pedro Caixinha reckons Rangers have banished the Luxembourg blues in the last week and will be ready to make a positive start to the Premiership season next Sunday.
After the horror of being knocked out of the Europa League by Progres Niederkorn, Rangers have drawn with Marseille and beaten Watford and Sheffield Wednesday in the last eight days.
They were comfortable at Hillsborough yesterday in front of 10,000 travelling fans with Josh Windass and Kenny Miller getting the goals and Ryan Jack running the show.
Caixinha said: “The last three games – Marseille, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday – have been ideal to get our cohesion and to get all of our ideas straight and they have been great for confidence.
“We knew that we were not the worst team in the world – although we also know we are not the best one. We controlled almost all of the first half. They confused us a little with the substitutions but we quickly adapted. But what really matters is that we take this momentum into the Motherwell game next Sunday and we need to work hard this week to make sure that happens.
“The boys are getting the notion of how to impose higher pressure on the opposition.
“It was a fantastic transition that led to our first goal and it was a great finish from Kenny, but we expect that of him.
“I felt our centre backs won a lot in the air and it was good to
0 Kenny Miller: Clinical finish. go to three at the back near the end to practice for teams that play with two strikers.
“We had a fantastic support. It was great to see so many fans andwehopethatwegavethem the passion that they gave us.” Rangers took the lead two minutes before half-time and it was Jack who was instrumental in the move. He took a pass from Miller and burst towards the Wednesday box before rolling a great pass into Windass who stayed cool to shoot past Keiren Westwood.
The English Championship side made a decent start to the second half and Scotland star Jordan Rhodes forced Wes Foderingham into a vital save in 49 minutes.
However, Rangers scored their second six minutes later. Graham Dorrans hit a quick free-kick wide left for Lee Wallace that caught the Hillsborough men on their heels. Wallace hit the cross in first time and Miller took a touch before slamming a right-foot shot high into the right corner.
Windass hopes it is a change in fortune for him after a disappointing first season at Ibrox. He said: “I don’t think I have anything to prove. I don’t know if I’ve played my way into the manager’s plans or not. I’ve always said if I play in the position that I played at my former club I could score goals but I haven’t really had that opportunity since I’ve come here.”