Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha is under huge pressure at Ibrox.
Pundit Davie Provan has told The Scottish Sun that he thinks Rangers should back rather than sack manager Pedro Caixinha – but still thinks they should have appointed Derek McInnes instead.
The Gers travelled to Hamilton Academical on Friday in search of a much-needed three points, but fell behind early on to Daniel Redmond’s opener.
Caixinha’s men did hit back though, scoring three times in six minutes as left back Declan John found the net twice and Daniel Candeias added a third.
Whilst Ryan Jack was sent off after the break, Graham Dorrans scored from the penalty spot to seal a 4-1 win for Rangers, and ease the mounting pressure on manager Caixinha.
The Portuguese boss oversaw another Old Firm defeat last weekend with a 2-0 home loss to Celtic, and many have called for him to be sacked – despite only being appointed as Mark Warburton’s replacement in March.
Caixinha was backed heavily over the summer, as Rangers gave him the funds to bring in the likes of Bruno Alves, Fabio Cardoso, Dorrans and Alfredo Morelos, though the Gers are still some wa behind Celtic.
Now, pundit Davie Provan has told The Scottish Sun that he thinks Rangers chairman Dave King should continue to back Caixinha, as giving him so much money to spend over the summer only to sack him after eight games this season would be ridiculous.
Provan added that King should have actually appointed Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes instead of Caixinha earlier this year, claiming it ‘beggars belief’ that Caixinha got the job instead – but believes the criticism of the Portuguese boss has been ‘brainless’.
“If King trusted Caixinha with that summer refit, he should be giving him more than 12 hours of league football to make it gel,” said Provan. “Right now, it’s open season on the Portuguese coach.
Caixinha’s third consecutive defeat to Celtic had the lynch mob foaming at the mouth. That’s the way it is in Glasgow. When the dust is settling on an Old Firm game, common sense usually takes the day off.”
“There’s no upside to a Caixinha sacking right now. Any new manager would be working with Caixinha’s squad, with no money available to change it. King himself has to hold his hands up. When Mark Warburton left the club, the natural successor was there in front of his eyes. It beggars belief Gers ignored Derek McInnes in favour of Caixinha.”
“McInnes knows the club, the Scottish game and has proved himself a sound judge of the transfer market. At a time Rangers needed value for money, McInnes ticked every box. It would only have taken a call to Aberdeen counterpart Stewart Milne to sort out compensation. Instead, King left the most important appointment of them all to someone else. But if Caixinha’s arrival was straight out of left field, some of the criticism of him has been brainless,” he added.
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