If Rangers players were not giving Pedro their all, they should now be feeling embarrassed
There is a major level of expectation on the shoulders of the Rangers board to get their next managerial appointment absolutely spot on.
An amount of criticism has been aimed at Dave King for, apparently, not being hands-on enough when it came to hiring Pedro Caixinha and Mark Warburton.
I don’t know how the inner sanctum works at Rangers, so I can’t say with any degree of certainty how involved the Rangers chairman was with the previous two appointments.
But what I do know is that there would have been discussions between all Board members before any decisions were made.
So, for any criticism to be aimed at any one person wouldn’t be right, in my opinion.
King and his board will not have taken any pleasure from seeing what took place on the pitch last week against Motherwell and Kilmarnock.
Remember, they are also supporters and want what’s best for the club.
Sure, bringing in Caixinha didn’t work out. That’s a fact.
Because of the run of results, it wasn’t totally unexpected to see him lose his position as manager.
Now it’s the job of the board to bring in the next person. They have to identify the very best man available and bring him in.
The secret to success is to choose wisely – and to get more decisions right than wrong.
The new manager has a tough job on his hands, that’s for sure.
He will need to assess the players very quickly and decide the ones he feels can take the club forward, get to Cup Finals and to finish as high up the league as possible this season.
Finishing runners-up must be the aim in this campaign.
Is that possible with the current squad?
Well, from what I’ve been told, the players looked petrified against Motherwell and Kilmarnock.
I’m also led to believe there appeared to be a lack of effort from some players in both games.
Now, if that is the case, then the players in question should be embarrassed.
Listen, whether you like your manager or not – whether you rate him or not – isn’t the point.
Regardless, there should be a respect for yourself as a person and a professional footballer to go out and give 100% in every game to bring success to your club.
They employ you, and the supporters put their hard-earned cash into the club so you can be given the best wage possible.
So you owe it to them – and to your own family – to make them proud of you.
It’s the simplest thing in football for players to blame the manager when things don’t go to plan.
That’s an easy way out and a convenient excuse to stop you from looking at yourself in the mirror to assess your own personal contribution.
But if there is any strength in the accusation that Rangers players weren’t giving their all, then the men in question should be embarrassed.
It’s vital the next manager of the Ibrox club identifies any such players and tells them a few home truths.
If they are not willing to give their all – or if they don’t have the ability or mentality to cope with playing for a club the size of Rangers – then they have to be moved on as soon as possible.
I’m just not sure what kind of funds will be available in the January transfer window to the new Rangers boss to make any changes.
Remember, Caixinha spent more money in his summer budget than Brendan Rodgers did at Celtic.
So the Board backed him to give him the best possible chance of success.
There are some very good players in the squad, and it’s up to the new manager to get the best out of them.
In terms of who the next man in the hot seat will be, I’ve no idea at this stage.
Most people in the UK will have a good idea about the size of Rangers and the level of expectation and demands.
A major piece of silverware hasn’t been won in six years – since Walter Smith was in charge for his second spell – so there will be an urgency to change that.
Candidates will be assessed and spoken to in due course, I’m sure.
It will be interesting to see who the board appoint.
The secret is to appoint wisely and make fewer mistakes than your opponent.
It’s the simplest thing in football for players to blame the manager when things don’t go to plan