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Portuguese works from dawn to dusk in pursuit of glory


Virtuoso

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When it comes to Pedro Caixinha the lights are on but no-one's at home. Literally, that is. His working day sometimes starts so early that when he arrives at Rangers' training ground there is no-one in the place apart from 'Stevie the doorman'. The other day Caixinha turned up at 5.30am and left at 6pm. The only remarkable thing about that, as far as he was concerned? 6pm is the earliest he has left the training ground since becoming the Rangers manager six weeks ago.Sometimes he gets home so late Glasgow is like 'a ghost city', he said. 'I'm a guy who works from a 'to-do' list. When the list is complete, I go home. Yesterday was the earliest I left since I arrived here. What do I do so early in the morning? Sometimes I bring my pillow and I sleep! No, it's about work. When I need to work and I need to clarify my ideas the office is the best place to do it, and early in the morning, when I have no-one down there, that is when I try to do it.'

As dawn is breaking Caixinha is clear-headed enough to analyse Rangers' performances, assess their next opponents, prepare the training and organise how he wants his team to play. His thoroughness and meticulous attention to detail cannot be faulted, but he remains an unproven Rangers manager and his reputation will be shaped by the next two games, against Celtic in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday and again in the SPFL Ladbrokes Premiership at Ibrox six days later.

Until now he has prepared for his five domestic games by watching the imminent opposition '" Hamilton, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Partick Thistle '" in their most recent SPFL fixtures. He has not been caught out yet, given he has four wins and a draw from five games. But for Celtic he sourced footage of their Champions League campaign, figuring that they are tested and discomfited in that environment in ways which do not apply in Scotland.

'For Celtic we need to go further, to the Champions League games. It's because along this season they were not forced to act in some circumstances and those circumstances happened only in the Champions League matches. Now we are the only team in Scotland defending zonally on corners, so we know that Celtic is not used to it. On the Champions League games you saw them doing it against Barcelona and Manchester City.

'I'm preparing for the game like all other games, knowing that this is going to be a knockdown. It's my first Old Firm match but I cannot think about the game behind that. I think about the game to live it, to enjoy it, but to prepare it the same way we prepare the others, with the exception that this is a semi-final and it gives you a ticket to get to the final.'

His mood and demeanour will darken if he loses one or both of these Old Firm games and the walls start to close in a little. It happens to every struggling Rangers or Celtic manager. He is not that yet, though, not after an unbeaten and steadily more convincing start. There was no sign of stress as he conducted a relaxed media session yesterday.

'How do I deal with stress? It depends. You have two types of stress: good stress and distress. I feel good. I'm not anxious about the game. I just focus on doing my job. Sometimes, if I have time, I go for a nice dinner with the family. I also had two days off before we started training this week and I went to Edinburgh and switched off completely. When I need to switch off, I switch off.'

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/portuguese-works-from-dawn-to-dusk-in-pursuit-of-glory-kjhjwtl3f

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1 hour ago, Young Bob said:

 Bearsden Bear witnessed the purchase of a Vienna Loaf in Waitrose. Was this on a non working day?

That's a good point, someone is lying here if Pedro was spotted buying a loaf yesterday afternoon. I'll give Bearsden Bear the benefit of the doubt here (although he might have been drunk and just approached a random tanned bloke at the checkout) and say that Rangers are punting out North Korean style propaganda.

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1 hour ago, FSM said:

That's a good point, someone is lying here if Pedro was spotted buying a loaf yesterday afternoon. I'll give Bearsden Bear the benefit of the doubt here (although he might have been drunk and just approached a random tanned bloke at the checkout) and say that Rangers are punting out North Korean style propaganda.

Or someone stole BB's phone..................

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6 minutes ago, johanhentze said:

I like how he has studied the mhanks games from the CL as that is where they have been under pressure and have shown their weaknesses. A thinking man, our Pedro.

Yeah that bit stood out for me too, wise to do that. 

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16 minutes ago, johanhentze said:

I like how he has studied the mhanks games from the CL as that is where they have been under pressure and have shown their weaknesses. A thinking man, our Pedro.

Absolutely. That's a shrewd move and something that's quite an obvious thing to do once it's pointed out but you'd assume you'd watch them to see their strength's not the other way about. 

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35 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

Good read and I like coaches with a good, intense work ethic like that however, Warburton was famous for getting to the training ground at 6am too. Just a side-point. 

True, but by 1500 he was 1/2 way through a round of golf.

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57 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

Absolutely. That's a shrewd move and something that's quite an obvious thing to do once it's pointed out but you'd assume you'd watch them to see their strength's not the other way about. 

Im sure he will figure out their strenghts as well, but when you think about it.. if you dont know their weaknesses then you wont know what to exploit - you will be hoping for the best.. Same the other way around.

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Managers who work hard at their profession and put in a shift and more for their team deserve credit for their efforts.  I've no problem with that. 

Its the outputs and outcomes and end results that are of far far more value though.   I look forward to celebrating the reward of the input hours with the outcome of leagues won and cups won.    

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3 hours ago, K.A.I said:

Absolutely. That's a shrewd move and something that's quite an obvious thing to do once it's pointed out but you'd assume you'd watch them to see their strength's not the other way about. 

Never heard of a team trying to exploit the oppositions strength :huh:

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3 minutes ago, To Be A Ranger said:

Never heard of a team trying to exploit the oppositions strength :huh:

No but I've heard loads of managers identifying a teams main players and strength's for example set-pieces.

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Just now, K.A.I said:

No but I've heard loads about managers identifying a teams main players and strength's for example set-pieces.

Fair enough but I think Pedro knows their strengths. He needs to make his side aware of where they can be weak.

A jammy last minute goal will do me.

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3 hours ago, K.A.I said:

Good read and I like coaches with a good, intense work ethic like that however, Warburton was famous for getting to the training ground at 6am too. Just a side-point. 

Nah he was unprepared and unprofessional mate, didn't you hear (c) Dave's lackeys.

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