Pedro pleased as Gers’ new men add a touch of class
RANGERS 1
Kranjcar (76)
MARSEILLE 1
Germain (63)
PEDRO CAIXINHA is adamant Rangers are back on track to make a strong start to the league campaign.
The Light Blues’ pre-season plans fell into chaos after the humiliating Europa League exit at the hands of Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn.
Things looked a little brighter yesterday as Caixinha’s men drew with big-spending Marseille at Ibrox.
The Portuguese maintains he has not been thrown off course by one of the worst results in the club’s history.
He said: “If I fell from the highest building in the world – the day after I’d be the strongest guy in the world.
“I’m like that. I like new challenges. Of course, we’re not pleased with what happened in Luxembourg, but it’s the past.
“I have to be pleased with what the boys did against Marseille. And I’m not only talking about their quality of football. I’m talking about the quality of their character.
“It’s about their quality as men, with strong personalities. That’s what big teams are made of.”
Rangers head south to a training camp at Bisham Abbey in Berkshire on Wednesday and will face Watford in a closed-doors game that night.
Their final friendly match is against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough next Sunday.
Caixinha hopes to add two players before the transfer window closes and seems likely to make another attempt to capture Jamie Walker from Hearts.
Six of Rangers’ summer signings started yesterday, with another three coming off the bench during the second half.
The Rangers fans were particularly keen to see Portugal defender Bruno Alves. Having recently represented his country in the Confederations Cup, the 35-year-old looked in fine fettle and hardly broke sweat during the 57 minutes he was given.
Graham Dorrans also got his first outing after arriving from Norwich City.
He looked a little rusty and ended up clattering former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra after failing to control a pass.
Caixinha clearly believes Alves’
composure and organisational abilities can stop his side leaking cheap goals.
He will have reinforced that belief by watching his side go behind shortly after replacing the former Cagliari man with Danny Wilson.
Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson whipped over a cross from the left and Valerie Germain had time to side-foot the ball past Foderingham.
It was a classy delivery and finish, but the failure of anyone to pick up the scorer will be of concern to the Ibrox management.
There will, however, have been some satisfaction in the way Rangers reacted.
They matched the French side, whose league campaign begins the same weekend as the SPFL Premiership, for fitness.
Niko Kranjcar had shown plenty of classy touches and impressive long-range passes without producing a killer ball, but his quality came to the fore in the 76th minute when he curled home a free-kick from 25 yards.
Kranjcar insisted it was up to the players to take responsibility for the shocking result in Europe.
He said: “There are definite signs we are improving but the result against Progres is still in the back of our minds.
“Progres is in the past, but it’s doesn’t mean you can forget it.
“We were all humiliated after that game. I felt it really deeply, we all did.
“We respect the history of this club and we have to be better than that.
“This performance is something we can build on.”
RANGERS (4-4-2) Foderingham; Tavernier, Cardoso, Alves (Wilson 57), Wallace; Candeias (Holt 85), Jack, Kranjcar (Windass 76), Dorrans (Dalcio 85); Miller (Pena 76), Herrera (Morelos 57). Unused – Alnwick (Gk), Hodson, Waghorn.