Rangers hitman Martyn Waghorn tells new boss Pedro Caixinha: Play me up top and I'll get you the goals

[Smile 26,600]

Martyn Waghorn has told Pedro Caixinha to play him at centre-forward if he wants to see the best of him in a Rangers shirt.

The striker started all six games under Graeme Murty, the first time he’s had that kind of run all season – and rewarded the stand-in boss with four goals.

Now the 27-year-old, who was often put out wide by Mark Warburton, is hoping for a clean slate under the new manager and netted in yesterday’s 4-0 romp against Hamilton when playing up top with Kenny Miller.

And the Englishman has his eyes on a deal beyond next season if he wins approval.

Waghorn said: “Everyone has two months to show what they can do. Everyone is on trial but we have to believe in ourselves and focus on the jobs in hand, which are to finish second in the league and win the Scottish Cup.

“Who knows what the future holds? But I am going to give my all for the club and 
hopefully be here next season too.

“I’ve always said I would like to stay, extend my contract and be here for a long time. I have another year on my deal so we have plenty of time left. There’s no rush but hopefully I can stay in the team.

“My natural position is as a striker. I love playing there and I loved the battle last weekend against Celtic.

“I was disappointed not to get a goal but the keeper has made a couple of good saves.


“That’s where I feel most natural but it’s up to the manager where I play.

“You see the game differently out wide. You don’t have your back to play as much as when you’re a nine. You can get the ball, turn and run at the defence.

“But I have to adapt my game. If I’m to play wide I still have a lot to learn.

“And maybe I haven’t been able to show the best of myself because of that. I can be most prolific as a striker, that’s my best position.


“As a nine I feel more natural in terms of where and when to run. Wherever I am wanted to play, though, I’m more than happy.”

Waghorn admits he’s indebted to Murty for his faith in a spell of flux for the club.

He said: “I have a lot to thank him for. I’d played a couple of Under-20 games and when he came in he gave me that little bit of confidence and game time I needed.

“As a striker it’s all about games and thankfully I got half a dozen under my belt.

“Hopefully the new boss likes what he sees and I can stay in the team.”

Waghorn’s not quite in the “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” school of cynicism – but he’s long enough in the tooth to roll with the punches in a week of upheaval.


He said: “Have you seen the past week in England? It’s nuts. I’ve experienced change right from my debut at Sunderland. I had two managers that season, three in my time at Leicester.

“Last season was the first I haven’t had a new manager in the middle of it. It’s part and parcel of the game. It’s a results business and at a top club like Rangers if they’re not going your way you have to expect change.

“As players you need to learn to deal with it and it’s harder for the younger players. But you need to get on with it whoever’s in charge.

“You’re a pro, you have a job to do.

“The gaffer is tweaking things at this stage, getting his ideas across. It’s kind of the way we’ve been playing anyway but adding his own touches, which will take a little time.

“But the boys are hungry and enthusiastic. Training has been intense but really good.

“The day to day has changed a bit, the structure of training – more stages, different drills, things have been chopping and changing but it has been fun as well as tough.

“And when a new manager comes in you want to impress him.”

If first impressions last, Caixinha’s have been positive for the players at least.

Waghorn added: “He’s really good, he’s open, you can go and have a chat with him.

“He has a lot of experience abroad but seems to have watched a lot of our games. He has spoken to players individually about what he has seen and what he expects.

“We’ve spoken on the training ground and we’ve spent longer getting ideas across. We've upped our game in the past few weeks with Graeme and now it’s just about time getting to know what the new man wants.”

[Bearsden bear 2,376]

Tend to agree with him about playing through the middle. 

When Garner came on Waggy was playing on the left for a short while, and didn't look at all comfortable - i think he moved to the right when Dodoo came on but i prefer him in the middle

[theiconicman 2,991]

Headline bearing no resemblance to quotes shocker. 

[simon 1,743]

Not changing the headline was poor. The quotes are intelligent and well thought out. Not bullshit ultimatums. 

[Smile 26,600]

I must be missing something the headline looks fine to me, it's just the start of the story.

[Big Al 55 9,248]

Hope he does well up top for 2 months until its we recruit a real striker.

[SIRB_72 4,000]

Yeah different quotes from the story they are trying to push. 

I firmly believe if you play Waghorn it should be as a striker. I have never seen the appeal of him out right. I feel we played our best football last season with him up top with his back to goal using his strength and fashioning chances for himself and others.

[Negri's lovechild 13,988]

7 minutes ago, SIRB_72 said:

Yeah different quotes from the story they are trying to push. 

I firmly believe if you play Waghorn it should be as a striker. I have never seen the appeal of him out right. I feel we played our best football last season with him up top with his back to goal using his strength and fashioning chances for himself and others.

Definitely better through the middle (still doesn't take enough of the chances created though),especially since we have at least one natural right sided midfielder\winger. Hopefully we can start seeing some balance to a very unbalanced squad

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,540]

any chances he's had this season no matter what position on the pitch he plays he has rarely taken, hell even the story is quite nice to him with him "bagging " a goal yesterday (it was a penalty ffs) fact is he isnt clinical enough and at times isnt intelligent enough to play through the middle,no harm to the boy, he was brought here to get us to this league, but we need better than him to win this league

[LaudrupsPatrickBoots 13,510]

I hope Pedro doesn't listen to him.

[JamieD 18,932]

36 minutes ago, Smile said:

I must be missing something the headline looks fine to me, it's just the start of the story.

Unless I'm blind, nowhere in the story does he say he has told Pedro anything about anything. He has told a JOURNALIST that he thinks he's best at centre forward. In fact the only quote that has anything to do with the subject of the headline actually says more or less the opposite of the headline.

“That’s where I feel most natural but it’s up to the manager where I play."

[graeme_4 34,461]

1 minute ago, JamieD said:

Unless I'm blind, nowhere in the story does he say he has told Pedro anything about anything. He has told a JOURNALIST that he thinks he's best at centre forward. In fact the only quote that has anything to do with the subject of the headline actually says more or less the opposite of the headline.

“That’s where I feel most natural but it’s up to the manager where I play."

Spot on. 

[Smile 26,600]

16 minutes ago, JamieD said:

Unless I'm blind, nowhere in the story does he say he has told Pedro anything about anything. He has told a JOURNALIST that he thinks he's best at centre forward. In fact the only quote that has anything to do with the subject of the headline actually says more or less the opposite of the headline.

“That’s where I feel most natural but it’s up to the manager where I play."

 

 

I just quoted it of the first part of the story the daily Record headline was different i don't see the big issue with it.

We seem to be wanting to be offended by anything now, I thought it was a good honest read.

Rangers hitman Martyn Waghorn tells new boss Pedro Caixinha: Play me up top and I'll get you the goals

the original headline i just cut it down as it was too long.

[JamieD 18,932]

Just now, Smile said:

I just quoted it of the first part of the story the daily Record headline was different i don't see the big issue with it.

We seem to be wanting to be offended by anything now, I thought it was a good honest read.

 

No one is having a go at you, the opening line of the story is bullshit. Who's getting offended? It's just the press making stuff up as always, nothing to do with Rangers.

[Smile 26,600]

3 minutes ago, JamieD said:

No one is having a go at you, the opening line of the story is bullshit. Who's getting offended? It's just the press making stuff up as always, nothing to do with Rangers.

 

I just don't see it have changed it to the original headline, good story all the same.

[RossS1873 1,656]

He's such an frustrating character at times, his finishing is woeful at times but he can make that pass, see Wallace's goal yesterday. He's not everyones cup of tea  but I like him. I think he bulked up too much during the summer. There's something there but hes not the 25 goal a season striker we need. I get he's already got 15 this season but they were mostly against lower league in the cup.

[K.A.I 36,183]

Waghorn ye'll play where yer telt end of

[B1872 20,700]

I like Waggy!

However in order to get 55 I reckon we need a better striker. We need a new spine to the team IMO starting with 2 centre backs, 2 central midfielders and a striker.

[Jack The Flipper 5,936]

53 minutes ago, LaudrupsPatrickBoots said:

I hope Pedro doesn't listen to him.

his best position is on the bench in my opinion, dodoo deserves a chance, the amount of opportunities he's missed is incredible

[ForeverAndEver 71,469]

Your finishing is absolute fucking gash, now fuck up.

[loyal 136]

Good strikers need half a chance he needs fuckin several  . I Don't doubt his work rate and effort  but he can't use his right foot and if your only one footed you gotta to be good with it   which he isn't .    simply he isn't good enough.

If only Miller played further forward than him against the bheggars and had the chances Waggy had we would have won  that .

[Guest Lloyd72]

Aye because it's playing out on the wing which is costing you goals, not the fact you can't finish to save yourself. Cunt.

[plumbGER 24,518]

30 minutes ago, Jack The Flipper said:

his best position is on the bench in my opinion, dodoo deserves a chance, the amount of opportunities he's missed is incredible

If he wants to get a chance he needs to do more when he comes on, he was rotten yesterday albeit not on for long.

[Guest Lloyd72]

8 minutes ago, plumbGER said:

If he wants to get a chance he needs to do more when he comes on, he was rotten yesterday albeit not on for long.

Was about to go through one on one and then was given offside but it looked on to me, has been decent every other time he's came on in the last 3/4 months tbf

[Misteral 2,932]

40 minutes ago, Lloyd72 said:

Aye because it's playing out on the wing which is costing you goals, not the fact you can't finish to save yourself. Cunt.

Why all the hate?