It would be crazy to underline that Rangers didn’t have sensible options like Alan Pardew, Gary Rowett and Alex McLeish to name a few in order to fill the void managerial slot after the departure of Mark Warburton last month. They could have gone with a proven name but quite contrarily to the popular belief, the Gers have undoubtedly opted for a risky endeavour by appointing a relatively unfamiliar manager in the form of Pedro Caixinha.
When Rangers were promoted to the Ladbrokes Premiership, the football fraternity expected them to go toe-to-toe with their arch rivals, Celtic. But that wasn’t supposed to be, as the Bhoys are comprehensively running away with the league title and the remainder of the season looks like a mere formality. Rangers looked disorganised, clumsy, sloppy and absolutely mediocre after getting back to the top tier of Scottish football. A drastic move was imminent, and eventually, the same surfaced.
Caixinha’s move to the Ibrox Stadium might divide opinion amongst the Rangers faithful, for he thoroughly lacks the pedigree of leading a massive club like the one he has recently moved to. The 46-year-old has spent a season in the third tier of Portuguese football, one in Primeira Liga, three in Mexico and two in Qatar as a manager after being an assistant for roughly a decade. Though it is an odd and puzzling route opted by the board, the Portuguese does have positives to boast of.
One of the most intriguing characteristics of Caixinha is that he emphasises on his defence. He sets up a compact backline, believes the game is built from the back and operates with a very simple tactical setup to comfort his players. Moreover, the former Al-Gharafa gaffer takes a keen interest in studying the game and considering the fact that the Teddy Bears have been absolutely shambolic as far as their defence is concerned, Caixinha should be a welcome change at the club.
The initial days would be tough for him as he would first need to acclimatise himself with how the game is operated in Scotland but the daggers would come out if he fails to deliver as per the demands of the club soon. Frankly speaking, the Light Blues have little to lose this campaign and Caixinha is a risk worth taking, though he would need full support from his players, the board and the fans to make the results start getting inclined towards his side’s favour.
