Pedro Caixinha shares his enduring memory of ‘unique’ Rangers supporters

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Pedro Caixinha’s seven-month spell in charge of Scottish Premiership powerhouses Rangers was nothing short of a disaster.

The Ibrox faithful might not look back on the Pedro Caixinha era with any great fondness but it seems that the man himself has far more positive memories about his seven months in charge of Rangers.

The Gers endured one of the oddest periods of their recent history between March and October 2017.

Caixinha was plucked from Qatar in the hope that he could build on the work of Mark Warburton and turn Rangers back into the dominant force of Scottish football.

Instead, his short-lived spell at the helm will be best remembered for some rather bizarre soundbites, a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Celtic, a third-place Premiership finish and, of course, the enduring image of Caixinha, knee deep in shrubbery, pleading with red-faced supporters after a disastrous collapse against the fourth-best team in Luxembourg.

So when the madcap Portuguese manager was finally given his marching orders after just over half a year in charge, the reaction was more ‘good riddance’ than ‘goodbye and good luck’. Rangers fans never really took to him or his divisive ways.

But Caixinha still had plenty of warm words to say about his time on the blue half of Glasgow as Steven Gerrard’s side prepare to take on Porto in the Europa League tonight.

“Rangers fans are more fanatical and dedicated than the English (supporters). It is a unique feeling, difficult to explain, but contagious. They are staunch, a little like (the fans) in FC Porto,” the 48-year-old told A Bola.

“It was an interesting career challenge, perhaps because it is the most media heavy club I have ever coached. The stadium surroundings are unique. And the Celtic derbies are something phenomenal.”

Rangers finished 39 points behind Celtic in 2016/17 under Caixinha but that chasm was reduced to just nine during Gerrard’s debut campaign. And with the former Liverpool skipper continuing to work wonders at Ibrox, the gap could be even closer by the time next May rolls around.