Confident Gers manager issues warning to Dons

Pedro Caixinha says his Rangers side are about to embark on a new cycle that will see them surge upwards – but warned Derek McInnes that Aberdeen face a slide unless he “renews” their squad.

The Ibrox boss has given up hope of catching the Dons, who are six points better off with a vastly superior goal difference, as they enter their final two games of the season.

But he does want to slash the Pittodrie side’s lead when the Gers welcome them to Govan tomorrow night.

A third win this season over the Reds would give some weight to Caixinha’s belief that the Light Blues are on the up. But he suggested Aberdeen will have to make changes if they are to cling on to the tag of Scotland’s second best line-up.

“What I know is that football is about cycles,” declared the Portuguese coach. “I know that Derek has been doing a great job, a fantastic job, but I know that moments and cycles work like that.

“I do believe that they’ve had a fantastic cycle in the last three or four years and they need to renew it. That’s what I understand looking at it from outside.

“We are starting our cycle so we are going to be up and up and up. That’s the way the teams behave and organise themselves and it’s our job to know when one cycle is about to come down and we do the planning in order to prevent that.

“That’s what I read from outside with Aberdeen.”

Rangers will face the Pittodrie troops with their resolve hardened by victories over Partick Thistle and Hearts.

Caixinha shot down reports he is ready to offer a deal to Hearts midfielder Alexandros Tziolis, who worked with the Ibrox boss during a spell at Panathinaikos.

Reports yesterday suggested the 32-year-old had been invited to Caixinha’s office after Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Tynecastle outfit to discuss a summer switch to Glasgow.

However, Caixinha laughed off the speculation – which he dubbed “pure rubbish” – and insisted he was merely catching up with an old friend.