Caixinha needs a few more like Kenny Miller
PEDRO CAIXINHA called for time after watching Rangers make an underwhelming return to European action on Thursday.
Beating a team from Luxembourg just 1-0 was judged as being below par by a home support which had sold out Ibrox in anticipation of being dazzled by the club’s exotic collection of new signings. It wasn’t to be. Indeed, the key contributions came from two players who were on the books last season – Kenny Miller and Niko Kranjcar.
The first has done a magnificent job in taking his career into what could be considered extra time as a 37- year- old still playing top- flight football.
When it became clear strikers Eduardo Herrera and Carlos Pena were being signed, Kenny made a point of stating that anyone who wanted his jersey was going to have to work very hard to wrestle it off his back.
On Thursday he was good to his word.
He is not just an ideal example to younger players, but a good example – full stop.
Kranjcar, meanwhile, is very much making up for lost time, and in doing so might just help to buy the Portuguese a little bit of breathing space.
Capped 81 times by Croatia, Kranjcar boasts a CV to rival that of anyone playing in the Scottish Premiership.
In England with Spurs, Portsmouth and QPR, he stood out as a classy midfielder in the best of company.
When Mark Warburton managed to persuade him to come over to Scotland last year, eyebrows were raised that such a big name would choose to come here.
That he was robbed of his services so soon due to injury was a cruel blow to Caixinha’s predecessor.
The question with Kranjcar back then was one of fitness.
Can he can get himself up to a level where he can last 90 minutes in a league where stamina, energy and athleticism are all required?
At 32, five years Miller’s junior, that should not be a big problem.
However, the fact is Kranjcar has not been at the required level for quite some time now.
Even when he was playing in America prior to joining Rangers last year, it was in the second tier.
Having seen him show flashes of his ability on Thursday night, Caixinha must be wondering how to get him back to his very best.
If he can, he’ll know he has a talent to match up against Celtic’s top creative footballers, guys like Scott Sinclair, Callum McGregor and Leigh Griffiths.
And if the other new signings are going to require a few weeks to adjust to Scottish football, that could be crucial.
Equally so in Tuesday’s return leg in Luxembourg, where you have to think the clean sheet kept at Ibrox can prove decisive.
How Rangers fare in the Europa League is one thing.
The domestic campaign is little over a month away from kicking-off and Caixinha’s new- look side willl come up against an Aberdeen team, who have picked up Shaun Maloney, Greg Stewart and possibly Stevie May.
Then there’s Hearts, whose recruitment of Kyle Lafferty is eye-catching.
I think all those players can do well, but I’m particularly keen to see how Maloney fares back in his home town.
He was terrific with Wigan in the season they were relegated from the Premier League, and has been Scotland’ s top performer on numerous occasions. He’s a huge talent.
In a week where we’ve seen Scottish football suffer a disappointment through St Johnstone’s home defeat to a side from Lithuania, we need as many talents around in the Scottish game as we can get.