BALANCING ACT FOR CAIXINHA
Boss identifies need for aggression and cover in all positions at Rangers
MARK WARBURTON was always keen to promote his love of operating with a ‘lean’ squad. It is Pedro Caixinha’s urgent desire to put some meat on those bones. As he sets out on a full-scale summer of first-team upheaval, the Rangers manager expressed dissatisfaction with what he feels is an unbalanced nature of the group inherited from Warburton.
Lacking proper like-for-like cover in certain positions and shy of power and aggression in all departments, the Portuguese is unimpressed with aspects of what was built before.
The issue smacked him in the face when Lee Wallace, an ever-present for 50 games last season, went down hurt in his 35th club appearances this season — Caixinha’s second game in charge.
The Ibrox boss covered for his captain by promoting 18-year-old Myles Beerman straight from Graeme Murty’s Under-20 squad.
When asked what the main ingredient required for his revamped pool will be, Caixinha replied: ‘Balance. First of all, balance.
‘When we arrived here and watched the players in the positions, you see all the positions on the pitch like a map. We have gaps there.
‘We have no two players for one position. When Lee Wallace came out, it was one example. Lee Hodson can play that position. But I prefer to have a left-footed left-back in the wide area.
‘We want a squad with three goalkeepers and 22, 23 outfield players, but those players can compete for positions in order to be more competitive. I have the core and an idea about the first XI.
‘But I want them to be competitive and I can only be competitive if I have players fighting for the positions. So we have the core and a group also of very good players in order to keep them competitive.’
Ball-playing was always more important than battling under the previous regime and Caixinha would prefer his provision to boast a more physical threat in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
‘We need more muscle in our style of play, to explore the wide areas more, to have quicker and more aggressive players up front,’ he added. ‘We need a strong midfield — definitely.
‘And we also need to have really combative players at centre-half. We are looking for players with international experience.
‘That’s what this club is used to and that’s what we are looking for in the core of the team. We need established internationals. Young and promising can also work.’
The trials of the current squad continue today at Firhill where the only team not to have troubled Rangers for league points this season host Caixinha’s contestants for a place in his future plans.
Kenny Miller rubber-stamped his involvement by penning a one-year deal on the eve of last Saturday’s Old Firm drubbing. Caixinha has made definitive decisions on the bulk of Miller’s colleagues.
However, there are at least a couple of players on whom he is unclear. They will play for their Ibrox futures today, next week against Hearts, at home to Aberdeen then at Perth on the final day of the league season.
When asked if the displays in the defeats to Celtic had changed his mind on certain individuals, Caixinha said: ‘Not that much. I still have one, maybe two doubts in my head to take out in the last couple of weeks and last four matches but, regarding all the rest, no.
‘The doubts will play, definitely. We need to show we have motivation to play these last four matches. We know that we are going to begin a new era.
‘But since the day we started we were working on the assessment in order to prepare next season differently. That’s the reason why we are here. But it isn’t over yet.’
Caixinha is no novice at making mass changes. He instigated clear-outs at his second Portuguese managerial post in Nacional Madeira, Mexico and Qatar.
He has handed his wish list to the Ibrox board and could return to raid Santos Laguna, where he won a Mexican Clausura title, for right-back Jose Abella and centrehalf Carlos Izquierdoz.
What could also prove attractive to him is former Rangers men — Steven Naismith and Steven Whittaker, for example, are on the brink of leaving Norwich City — being available to return.
However, Caixinha insists that whoever he brings in must be fully committed to his project.
‘I’m not going to bring a single player who has doubts whether he wants to move here or not,’ he stated. ‘We had one player who received a clear offer.
‘And he started what I can call an auction.
‘I want players who really want to come. Who are calling me all the time saying they want to be here with me. I want players to come here and become idols.
‘I know what the fans want and what I want. I want those type of players.’