All leave cancelled as Pedro Caixinha cracks whip at Rangers

[ian1964 10,596]

On the evidence of the video released by Rangers in support of a new community engagement initiative they announced yesterday, Andy Halliday may have a future as a voiceover artist when he hangs up his boots.

 

The midfielder, raised a stone’s throw from Ibrox on Copland Road, impressively narrates the film which will now be shown on match days in a campaign aimed at improving the environment around the stadium and enhancing relations with local residents. It is fortunate, however, that Halliday recorded the piece a couple of weeks ago. For since Pedro Caixinha’s arrival as manager at Rangers, time for any extra-curricular activities for the club’s first-team squad has been at a premium.

 

The Portuguese coach has changed their working patterns, cancelling one of the regular days off they enjoyed under his predecessor Mark Warburton, as he looks to impose his ideas at Rangers as quickly as possible. While Halliday jokes that the change in routine might not have gone down well with the players’ wives and girlfriends – ‘there might be a few divorces!’ – he insists he and his team-mates are happily buying into Caixinha’s regime. Halliday’s immediate hope is that it delivers an improvement in Rangers’ form and consistency sufficient enough to end their season on a high note by winning the Scottish Cup and, at the same time, denying next month’s semi-final opponents Celtic the opportunity to win the treble. “First impressions of the manager are good, it’s been really enjoyable,” said the 25-year-old. “The boys have adapted to the new training schedule, the new way of thinking, the new way of playing. Long may it continue. “The boys got off to a good start with a convincing win against Hamilton last week and hopefully we will do the same again against Motherwell on Saturday.

 

We are in for an extra day’s training every week. The day off on the Wednesday has been scrapped. But I do really think the boys have enjoyed it. It is hard work, but it is certainly enjoyable. “He has brought in something that we are not all used to, so I think you have every right to feel as if there has got to be a time to adapt to the new training regime, but we have done it really well. He has been delighted with the way the boys have trained and the intensity of the training session. But the most important thing is if you slack off and you are not putting in the effort he wants, he will certainly tell you about it. “The Tuesday is really physical. When he brings us in on a Wednesday, it is really just a recovery day. He just wants us to be in and gel as a group of players and get to know the staff a bit better. “We are all trying to get towards one goal and get good results on the park. It had sort of got away from us. It has been well documented we have had quite a lot of poor results this season.

 

The new manager has tried to change the mentality. Most importantly, he wants to gel that team together. That extra day has certainly helped.”Halliday, fit again after a hamstring injury which has sidelined him for the last three weeks, has endured a frustrating season. He may be ‘one of their own’, but that has not spared him from being regularly singled out for criticism from the Rangers fans.“I was happy with my own performances leading up to the winter break,” he said. “I managed to pick up a couple of player-of-the-month awards within the team and scored a few goals.“ Obviously my performances dropped off after that and my own standards weren’t good enough. I take full responsibility for that. The new gaffer has come in and it’s a fresh start for us all. I’ve been out for two or three weeks now and the boys have picked up a few positive results. “So it’s by no means a case of I’ll be straight back in the team. No one in the squad has a divine right to a jersey. I need to work but I look forward to the challenge. It’s all part and parcel of being at a club like Rangers. “You have to be of a certain mentality to play for these football clubs.

 

It was a fantastic first 18 months at the club for me. It’s not been so great lately, but you need to deal with that. It’s up to me to put that right. I’m forever grateful to play for this football club and, hopefully, the good times come back again.”Halliday would love nothing more than those good times to start with a repeat of last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Celtic. “That will always be one of the proudest moments of my career,” he said. “It’s up to me to try and get back into the team for the semi-final this year. Celtic will have it in their mindset that they want to preserve their unbeaten run and get the treble. It’s up to us to try and stop it. “From our side of things, we want to win a ‘Rangers’ trophy. We had a good year last season but if we are all admitting it, we never really won what you would call a ‘Rangers’ trophy. So it’s our last chance this season to try and put that right. It has been a pretty inconsistent season for us all but what a way to try and end it on a high.”

 

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/all-leave-cancelled-as-pedro-caixinha-cracks-whip-at-rangers-1-4407079

[Gribz 745]

Nothing wrong with going in for a recovery day although players still do need time off like everyone else - however to go in temporarily on a Wed to make improvements is a good attitude to take. But it depends on their daily hours and if they get other time off. I honestly wouldn't know what a footballers schedule is but it is probably different at every club.

 

It could either be sitting at home watching TV or sitting in luxury facilities at Murray Park doing light walking, Jacuzzi's or massages.

[ian1964 10,596]

Pedro Caixinha: Rangers squad will have just ten days off this summer ahead of new campaign at Ibrox

 

PEDRO CAIXINHA will give his Rangers squad just ten days off this summer ahead of their potential return to Europa League action.

 

The Light Blues are on course to earn a continental berth through their Premiership placing but can also clinch a spot by winning the Scottish Cup this term.

 

Caixinha’s side face Old Firm rivals Celtic next month as they look to set up a final meeting with Aberdeen or Hibernian at Hampden.

 

That would leave the Gers squad with just a month to prepare themselves for their first competitive action next season.

 

For captain Lee Wallace and full-back Lee Hodson, the timeframe is even tighter as they face the prospect of international duty on June 10 and a return to training just days later.

 

Caixinha held talks with chairman Dave King for the first time last week and the Portuguese already has one eye on what could be a hectic summer at Ibrox.

 

He said: “It was a very interesting meeting, things were really, really clear and just after that we started carrying on in the same direction, getting on the same wavelengths and on the same work that needs to be done from now until the beginning of next season.

 

“Today for example we said to the players that the 29th of June is going to be our first match, the Europa League first qualifying round, first leg.

 

“So that needs to go into our plan. We have to organise the squad for that.

 

“We have the notion that we are going to finish the season on May 27. But to give them a rest period, to prepare them for when they restart for that first match next season, normally you need between five to six weeks.

 

“That’s more than enough to get the pattern and make them ready to play that first match.

 

“So from June 29 you work back five or six weeks and you have the date that you are going to start.

 

“But that doesn’t fit…I don’t have the time. So we will have only 21 days of preparation, so I can give them only between 10 to 11 days of a vacation.

 

“This is the reality we are facing. That means that we are trying to organise everything from now until the end of the season in order to start on the right date with everyone on board in the right direction.”

 

Caixinha has spent the international break putting his squad through their paces at Auchenhowie and has already cancelled the usual Wednesday day off arrangement that was previously in place.

 

There will be little time for the Gers to recharge before they get back down to business this summer but the Ibrox boss is confident the Light Blues will handle the demanding schedule.

 

Caixinha said: “When I ask the players ‘how many of you have played in the Europa League or Champions League, raise your hand’.

 

“How many raise their hands? Only a few. So they all want to. Top players have to do this and Rangers players are always top players.

 

“They need to [be twelve months-a-year athletes now].

 

“My experience in Mexico allowed me to deal with this sort of situation, in a different way, because it’s not the first time I’ve experienced it. In Mexico they play short tournaments, six months and six months.”

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/15193960.Pedro_Caixinha__Rangers_squad_will_have_just_ten_days_off_this_summer_ahead_of_new_campaign_at_Ibrox/

[Tannochsidebear 2,352]

So if the players want a longer holiday they have to ensure they don't make the Scottish cup final????

 

The calendar is far too congested, and when you consider our first competitive game was in mid-July under the new dreadful league cup groups that ruined our pre-season this year, it looks like we will have virtually no pre-season again this summer.

 

Of course the calendar didn't just change this week, we have known this all year, so good luck to Pedro trying to get his players some rest. We should ensure all players with international summer prospects make sure their relevant managers know they will be unavailable this time due to fixture congestion.

[Gribz 745]

I agree with this one because its essential we qualify for the group stages and year in year out we see dross from the SPL playing unknown sides who are into their domestic season knocking them out. Im pretty sure id we add depth to the squad then holidays can be back dated on a rota basis to allow some players a rest after the qualifiers.

[Tannochsidebear 2,352]

The problem we have is our squad ain't good enough as it is. Take out Toral, Hyndman and the 3 out of contract players and we are really struggling depth-wise. Obviously Pedro wants to bring players in but this may not happen sufficiently quickly enough for them to be registered/available in time for the end of June start.

 

Given how badly our last 3 Windows have gone, how much confidence can we have in our negotiating team getting these deals done quickly? Pedro may have a list of targets, but we didn't get MW targets across the line very often or very quickly, and I'm guessing those responsible for this (Robertson/Dickson I'm guessing) are still going to be in charge of this come the summer.

 

I suppose we will see if the issues we had in getting players in over the last 3 Windows was down to MW/FMcP or the club's budget/negotiating skills.

[MacK1950 2,278]

It sounds great what Pedro is doing/planning but "burn out" comes to mind so things will have to extremely carefully monitored.

The "expertise" of the board will now be even more scrutinised.