The Scot did his coaching badges with the newly-appointed Rangers boss and is tipping him to bring success back to Ibrox.
New Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha
New Glasgow Rangers appointment Pedro Caixinha is being tipped to follow the lead of another Portuguese coach on British shores.
Caixinha’s compatriot Carlos Carvalhal steered an unfancied Sheffield Wednesday side to last season’s Championship play-off final, and has them sixth in the second tier heading into the season’s final eight fixtures.
Carvalhal’s assistant Lee Bullen first met Caixinha a decade ago when the pair did their coaching badges together and, having kept in touch with the 46-year-old, believes he has all the credentials to bring success back to Rangers – provided he is given time by the Ibrox board.
“Pedro is a guy who has stood on a pile of mud in the middle of a bullfighting ring. Does that strike you as someone who’s lacking in b***s?” Bullen told the Scottish Sun.
“Remember, he had a spell in Greek football at Panathinaikos as well. I had a couple of years playing out there, and the pressure on the big Greek clubs is huge. It’s like the Old Firm in Glasgow, finishing second is no use. It can get pretty volatile, so I don’t think taking charge of a Rangers game against Celtic will daunt him.
“Pedro was in Mexico as well, where they can be very passionate about the games.”
The Scot added: “I believe he will turn out to be a good fit for Rangers, as long as he gets time to show what he can do. He’s done his time at clubs in places like Mexico and Qatar, and this is an opportunity he deserves.
“Pedro had a great start with a good win over Hamilton, but it will be next season before he puts a proper mark on Rangers. By then he will have had a transfer window, and he’ll be bedded in at Ibrox in terms of the kind of squad he wants.
“I know there’s been a bit of scepticism about Pedro in Scotland. I do understand that mentality because of the ‘goldfish bowl’ aspect of being in Glasgow.
“When Carlos came in at Wednesday, people mentioned the fact he’d managed 14 clubs in 14 years. But he took us to the play-off final last season, and we’re in there challenging again this year.”
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal
Bullen, who appeared for Dunfermline, Sheffield Wednesday and Falkirk during the latter stages of a nomadic playing career, was invited to observe Caixinha, the then manager of Portuguese side Nacional da Madeira, while studying for his UEFA licence at the start of the decade.
And the Edinburgh native revealed he was one of the first to congratulate Rangers’ new boss on his appointment, telling him he was joining a “fabulous club”.
Sheffield Wednesday assistant boss Lee Bullen
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