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into position before then. But then again the board is taking a risk simply by going after this candidate when there are other far more obvious contenders.
When Caixinha first met with them in London almost a fortnight ago he spoke so impressively and so passionately about his credentials and plans that the three-man interviewing panel had half a mind to offer him the job on the spot.
But they waited another week in order to sit down with the rest of the men on their shortlist before deciding Caixinha was indeed their preferred managerial option.
Managing director Stewart Robertson must surely know that by plucking a relative unknown from the obscurity of the fifthbest club in Qatar he is gambling with his own reputation.
If this experiment all goes wrong then it might be impossible for him to explain away why Rangers chose to take such a chance when, for example, Derek McInnes would represent a tried and tested option with a cyclopedic knowledge of the Scottish top flight as well as a personal link to Ibrox from his days there as a player.
If McInnes can establish Aberdeen as the second strongest force in the country on a budget a fraction of the £11million Rangers have frittered this season then it stands to reason he would probably give Dave King and Co a bigger bang for their buck.
On Saturday when Walter Smith – the great godfather of pragmatism – called for McInnes to be given his old gig, it felt almost like an intervention. As if Smith was offering his wealth of experience to a board in need of all the friendly guidance it can get.
Also, despite offering Ross Wilson the director of football post the 34-year-old remains in his job at Southampton with no sign of him rushing to the rescue any time soon.
Rather than try to convince the reluctant Wilson to leave the English Riviera and the Premier League behind they should have picked up the phone to John Park and offered Celtic’s former star-finder the role of head of recruitment.
His extensive scouting network could have been up and running within hours. The longer Wilson deliberates, the less likely he’ll see any sense in returning over the border when his star is on the rise down south. Still, there was some good news for King and his men at the weekend when reports emerged from England suggesting Mike Ashley might be ready to launch a hostile takeover of the club. Let’s forget for a moment the SFA have limited the Newcastle owner’s influence at Ibrox to a stake of no more than 10 per cent of the club’s shares because of concerns over dual interest, making a power grab impossible as long as he remains at St James’ Park. The mere mention of Ashley’s name should help to sharpen the focus of those fans who have already become disgruntled with King’s regime. They should console themselves with the knowledge that at least they are complaining about football issues as opposed to the bad old days when they were fearing for the very existence of their club when Ashley had his grubby paws all over it. Yes, King’s board is far from perfect. But nothing should enhance the popularity, credibility and reputation of the current regime more than the dark shadow of Bike Mike on the front steps of Edmiston Drive.
In fact, of all the many criticisms of King and his fellow directors they do have one huge lump of credit left in the bank – that they were able to drive Ashley’s cabal out of the club in the first place.
If there are Rangers fans out there who believe Ashley is itching to rout them and then plough in all the millions that King had previously promised then good luck to them. Perhaps they have not been paying any attention these last few years. Or perhaps they are happier to exist in a land of permanent delusion where hubris grows on trees.
Maybe the harsh reality of the current situation at Ibrox – as Celtic disappear off over the horizon in a Brendan Rodgersshaped blaze of glory – is just too grim for their liking.
But Rangers are where they are regardless. And if King and his men have in all of their wisdom decided Caixinha really is the man to turn the club’s fortunes around then they should also be clever enough to keep him out of the firing line until the start of next week. thing is for sure, he should never be in charge of a top-level game again.”
said: “If we need proof that video evidence must come into play in football, three incidents which went against Hamilton when the game was still within their grasp, furnish the proof.
“Wes Foderingham handled the ball outside the box. That merited a sending-off. This would have swung the game Hamilton’s way. The penalty awarded to Rangers was no penalty. This would have kept the game level.
“Garner’s tackle on Imrie was an assault and he should have been sent off. Beaton took the easy option of a yellow card.”
And said: “I can only presume the referee got the match ball at the end of the Rangers v Hamilton Scottish Cup tie for his hat-trick of mistakes.”
Celtic fans are happy to see Craig Gordon extend his deal at the club. said: “The big man has been brilliant this season since coming back into the team.
“He has proved his worth and this is a reward for not sulking when Dorus de Vries took his place.”
Hibs supporters are also gleeful with their spot in the last four of the Scottish Cup.
said: “Neil Lennon deserves massive credit at Easter Road and so do the players.
“They are doing everything asked of them at the moment. Sure one or two results in the league haven’t been great recently but we will still win it.”
Meanwhile, had a new idea for the end of the season play-offs.
He said: “Would it not be better and fairer to have the team who finish 11th in the Premiership play the team who finish third in Championship, while second plays fourth over two legs with the final being a one-off game?” CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY FROM 11 TILL 12 NOON on: 0141 309 3306 or email us: hotline@dailyrecord.co.uk