Pedro Caixinha has commented on his plans for his Rangers coaching staff.
New Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has told the club’s official YouTube channel that he wants his coaching staff to be loyal to him, having learned from Sir Alex Ferguson.
Caixinha, 46, was appointed as Rangers’ new manager on Saturday afternoon, and presented to the media on Monday having completed his move from Qatari side Al-Gharafa.
The Portuguese boss watched Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Old Firm rivals Celtic, and will now be in the dugout for this weekend’s game against Hamilton Academical at Ibrox.
Ahead of that game, the big talking point at Ibrox is surrounding Caixinha’s coaching staff, amid reports from The Scottish Sun that goalkeeping coach Jim Stewart was set to leave the club.
Stewart has been Rangers’ goalkeeping coach for almost ten years, but it’s claimed that he will be leaving the club in order for Caixinha to bring in Spaniard Jose Belma, who has been at training this week according to BBC Sport.
The pair worked together at Nacional, Santos Laguna and most recently Al-Gharafa, whilst Pedro Malta and Helder Baptista – two men who have followed Caixinha through his career – have also joined up with the club this week.
Caixinha has been asked about the situation, and he told the club’s official YouTube channel that he took advice from Sir Alex Ferguson in 2007, suggesting that loyalty is the key from assistant coaches.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson had a host of assistants during his lengthy spell at Manchester United, including Archie Knox, Brian Kidd, Steve McClaren, Carlos Queiroz and ex-Rangers manager Walter Smith, with Ferguson suggesting to Caixinha that they were all loyal to him before managing other clubs themselves – and those words will help shape Rangers’ staff under Caixinha.
“My coaching staff have been with me for a long time,” said Caixinha. “I take it from Sir Alex Ferguson, when I was at Carrington for three weeks in 2007. I asked him ‘Why do you change, along all these years, your assistant coach?’, and he just taught me about one point: loyalty. So I said, ‘one day I will become a manager, and I want my guys that are loyal to me’ – but that’s not enough.”
“I want more, I want competence, I want knowledge, I want guys that challenge me, I want guys that like to be challenged. We have a mission to accomplish – we need to do it,” he added.
Are you excited about Caixinha’s time at Rangers?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
