TOMMY: PEDRO’S GONE PARANOID
TOMMY WRIGHT last night rounded on “paranoid” Pedro Caixinha and accused the Rangers boss of peddling fake news.
The Ibrox gaffer claimed the St Johnstone manager, left, put a training session on hold last season, waiting for a spy in the Ibrox camp to leak his team news.
But the bemused Perth manager,
who squares up to the under-pressure Portuguese at McDiarmid Park tonight looking to reclaim third spot, insists that’s a figment of his rival’s imagination.
And the Northern Irishman reckons Caixinha should be more obsessed with halting Celtic’s bid for 10 in a row than playing games of I spy.
Wright is mystified by claims Saints stars delayed training before a 2-1 defeat on the final day of last season.
He said: “Pedro has been saying a lot recently and he’s had to backtrack on a few things. I now know what fake news is because what he said isn’t true – it didn’t happen.
“Most managers do a bit of asking around and have a think with their staff to second guess each other’s teams.
“But I was not given the Rangers team and we certainly didn’t hang around and change the time of our training waiting for someone to send me it.
“It is a figment of his imagination. When you say something like that without evidence, proof or naming names it’s annoying.
“It’s also disappointing as I feel I get on well with Pedro – maybe one of the few who do – and we had two 20-30 minute conversations over the summer.
“We had them face to face and it wasn’t mentioned. I find that surprising because if he felt it was true then I’m sure he would have brought it up.
“If he had a problem he could have spoken to me when he had the opportunity.
“He’s stated he’s got a spy in the camp and he is paranoid about that.
“It now looks like he’s got a spy in my camp if he thinks he knows what we’ve been doing and can say we have changed our training times. Maybe there is a double agent at work!
“Whatever he’s been told is duff information – it didn’t happen and it isn’t true.”
Wright suspects Caixinha doesn’t know who to blame for suspected dressing-room leaks otherwise the guilty party would have been booted out the door.
Wright added: “Was he pointing the finger at anyone in particular? I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. But if it was me and I had a spy here and knew who it was, they’d be sacked.
“Obviously he hasn’t found out who it is because if it was me, Derek McInnes, Brendan Rodgers, Alan Archibald, Stevie Robinson or any of the other managers they would be gone.
“It’s as simple as that. Their feet wouldn’t touch the ground. But that hasn’t happened so he probably still has that problem.
“Pedro is at a massive, worldfamous club and maybe he should just concentrate on that.
“Closing the gap on Celtic is where his focus should be, not picking fights with St Johnstone.
“Bill Struth said he welcomed the chase when Rangers were dominant. Well they are not dominant now and they are the ones doing the chasing.
“Maybe he should embrace that and put his energy into trying to stop Celtic winning 10 in a row rather than get involved in stuff like this.
“Respect and humility are things you are either born with or not. Nobody likes anyone saying things that aren’t true about them – it’s disrespectful. When people make accusations they have to back them up.
“But I will shake Pedro’s hand on Friday and I’ll have a cup of tea with him afterwards. There is no ill feeling.”
Wright is demanding a reaction from his Perth players who crashed 3-0 at Aberdeen before the international break.
He added: “I’ve seen signs this season that Rangers can improve but at the minute there isn’t much difference from last season.
“Pedro might be trying to play mind games, I don’t know – but our preparation has been done and we’re looking forward to the game.
“We just have to wait on the pigeon arriving with their team now!”