Caixinha has a good starting point following derby day draw
New Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha will today take his first training session ahead of his first game against Hamilton on Saturday.
The Portuguese coach watched on from the stands at Celtic Park as Rangers played their best game of the season to earn a point in the derby.
Following the departure of Mark Warburton, under-20s coach Graeme Murty led the first team for six games. The performances he got from the players, particularly in his last three matches, were very good.
Murty also appeared to implement a pressing game on a Rangers team which was forever exposed under Warburton. That pressing game, as well as fantastic effort, meant Rangers were able to compete with Celtic on Sunday. That being a game where they were completely written off.
YouTube: REACTION | Graeme Murty | Celtic 1-1 Rangers
The players showed in the biggest fixture of the season they were capable of playing in a different shape and defend well as a team.
Caixinha will now begin in his role as Rangers manager looking to instil his own ideas and philosophy. The resilience in the team on Sunday was a good starting point for Pedro ahead of his time in charge.
Having won three major honours in Mexico, Caixinha arrives with more previous success than Warburton did two years ago. He has reiterated in his first day interviews that he only has a winning mentality.
YouTube: PRESS CONFERENCE | Pedro Caixinha | 13 Mar 2017
If he manages to produce a winning team and can sort out a defence which has been poor for years, he will do very well at Ibrox.
The new boss has a challenge ahead of him from day one. Chasing Aberdeen for second place and a Scottish Cup semi-final are the challenges he faces.
The first five league games of his charge are below:
Evaluating the squad and planning for next season will ultimately be what he will work most at in coming months.
It is too early just now to predict what Caixinha will deliver. The hope is, though, that once he gets his own stamp on the team and adjusts to the expectation, he will prove the board right in being the best choice.