Rangers legend Arthur Numan warns Pedro Caixinha's men to focus on Scottish Cup glory as 'second place means f*** all'

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

Rangers legend Arthur Numan warns Pedro Caixinha's men to focus on Scottish Cup glory as 'second place means f*** all'

Numan, who lifted 10 trophies as a player at Ibrox, has fired a no-nonsense warning to the current Rangers side that nothing other than Hampden glory next month will constitute success.

Arthur Numan has told Rangers to focus on Scottish Cup glory over the Premiership runners-up spot – because second place means NOTHING!

The Light Blues kept their slim hopes of finishing best of the rest alive in their first season back in the top flight with a stunning 3-0 win at Aberdeen on Sunday.

Pedro Caixinha’s men moved to within nine points of the Dons with six games to play, including a post-split meeting between the bitter rivals at Ibrox.

Rangers host Partick Thistle at Ibrox this weekend while Derek McInnes takes his side to McDiarmid Park for a tough encounter with Euro-chasing St Johnstone.

 

But Numan insists next week’s Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final clash should be the main priority as the Light Blues look to win their first major honour since the 2011 title.

Rangers are looking to end Celtic’s Treble hopes in the last-four clash with a repeat of last season’s win at the same stage, although they failed to get their hands on the trophy back then after losing to Hibs in the final.

And Dutch legend Numan, who lifted 10 trophies in his five years at Ibrox, said: “You want to stand there at the end of the season and lift the silverware.

“What does second mean? Second means F*** ALL.

“It is all about winning trophies and lifting silverware. If I was in the situation now I would be saying ‘Okay, we have finished second’. But it doesn’t mean anything.

“But the Scottish Cup is very important. It’s better to win the cup than finish second. I hope Rangers will beat Celtic in the semi-final and go on and lift the trophy at the end of the season.

“Celtic have won the League Cup so the Rangers players will want to win the Scottish Cup.”

Numan admitted that he had never heard of Mark Warburton’s successor Caixinha who joined from Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa at a time when the Hoops were already well on their way to six-in-a-row.

The 47-year-old former Holland full back recalled a similar situation when Alex McLeish was appointed Gers boss mid-season after Martin O’Neill’s blistering start brought Dick Advocaat’s time to an end.

Despite the league being out of the Ibrox side’s reach – they trailed by 11 points having played a game less than Celtic – Big Eck got the better of the Hoops twice that season to claim the two knockout cup competitions.

Rangers still finished 15 points behind their rivals in the final league table but after a fresh start and a full pre-season under McLeish they won the Treble the following year.

Numan reckons the gulf between the Glasgow giants is too big for something similar to happen but hopes Caixinha can at least eat into the gap this season and next.

The Portuguese will have the help of one of Numan’s former team-mates after Jonatan Johansson was appointed to the Ibrox backroom team – and his knowledge of the Scottish game could be vital.

But Numan said: “Rangers should focus on themselves and not look at Celtic. Focus on your own game. Next season will be too early to compete for the title. Hopefully they will do better than this year and make the gap a bit smaller.

“They showed in the 1-1 draw that they could get a result at Parkhead so that was good for Rangers and gave everybody confidence. It was important for the semi-final as well.

“I don’t know much about Pedro Caixinha. When he was appointed, people were saying ‘Who is he?’ and wondering what was happening. But it was the same when I signed for Rangers.

“You have to give him some time. He will have a vision in his mind. I don’t know how he wants to play but I am sure he’ll want to entertain and play attacking football.

“And now he has appointed a new coach in Jonatan. When I came in, Dick Advocaat had Bert van Lingen but the really good thing was that John Greig was there.

“The fact that someone who knew the club so well and was on hand was great. When we went away to hotels for away games we could listen to his stories. He told us about the club and was very important for Dick and Bert in telling them to do this or do that.

“It takes time. You can’t expect a new manager to come in and for miracles to happen. He will have a philosophy in his mind so the fans must be patient.

“You can’t expect him to come in and suddenly Rangers can compete with Celtic again. Alex McLeish took over from Dick Advocaat shortly after we beat PSG in the UEFA Cup.

“We won the League Cup and the Scottish Cup that season and then the Treble the next season.

“You have to have belief in yourself. It gives you confidence when you win a trophy and it is good for the atmosphere in the dressing room.

“You want to win trophies so if you can’t win the league then you have to win something else.

“Even if we hadn’t won those trophies we would have believed we could win the league the next season because it is another start.

“When Martin O’Neill took over, he won a Treble and then a second league title. But Alex took over and we won the two cups in his first year and then the Treble.

“Every season is a new start with new players but this season, when Rangers can’t win the league, they have to try to win a cup.”

 

http://www.<No links to this website>/sport/football/football-news/rangers-legend-arthur-numan-warns-10207009

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Always liked Numan – great player – and he's saying it like it is – Mr Caixinha, second means fuck all to Rangers FC – sooner you grasp that, then the sooner you’ll be given the respect you are due – unlike DK for example.

 

WATP

[Copland bear 7,966]

2nd is nowhere , Its win the cup at all costs and do them at Ibrox.  It's not rocket science , we will never except 2nd best and the day we do is the day we all chuck it.  

Well said Arthur , probably the best left back I have and will ever see in a Rangers jersey. 

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

I would think Pedro knows that second means fuck all. 

The ones that need convincing are the cunts holding the purse strings. We just saw a 5% increase in ST price after a horrible season, we need to see some serious money made available to the manager. 

[thehost 11,061]

Arthur is the only foreign man I have ever spoken to that uses fuck more than the average Glaswegian.

[Amato 3,037]

“It is all about winning trophies and lifting silverware. If I was in the situation now I would be saying ‘Okay, we have finished second’. But it doesn’t mean anything."

Seemingly hasn't been paying close attention to the league table this year!

[Young Bob 1,360]

31 minutes ago, Courtyard Bear said:

I would think Pedro knows that second means fuck all. 

The ones that need convincing are the cunts holding the purse strings. We just saw a 5% increase in ST price after a horrible season, we need to see some serious money made available to the manager. 

Being 1st is all that matters and its the boards duty to put out a team to do that next season.

[reallyruff 622]

Numan's is definitely the attitude we need in the dressing room . No more of this 2nd is good enough crap, going in with lower expectations has led to lower performances so that we are now struggling for 2nd...winning mentalities come from winning not just making up the numbers. This needs to be instilled by the management and supported financially by the board so that those unable to cut it can be ruthlessly culled.

[The Godfather 72,873]

We should be 100% focusing on the semi, trouble is if we lose it then I don't want the players to chuck it because they think the remaining games don't matter.
 

At a club this size all the games matter and the fans will be out in numbers as usual so they really need to be giving their all right up till the end of the season. Being a Rangers player demands that and always has done. 

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,749]

No shit Sherlock ! Thanks for that Arthur !??

[K.A.I 36,183]

I'm sorry but Numan is wrong in the sense that second Is not good enough - but it's a must 

prestige 

 

[Smile 26,622]

We are a club with a board who promote the ethos that taking part is the new rangers way.

Two years in can anyone tell us that promotes them what they are doing to take us forward and plug the gap.?

[lidorfc 6,685]

11 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

I'm sorry but Numan is wrong in the sense that second Is not good enough - but it's a must 

prestige 

 

There is nothing prestigious about second place mate.

[wearethepeople1 3,897]

12 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

I'm sorry but Numan is wrong in the sense that second Is not good enough - but it's a must 

prestige 

 

In the context of the situation, 2nd and 3rd have the exact same rewards. Winning the Scottish cup is an achievement, pipping Aberdeen to 2nd isn't 

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

1 hour ago, Young Bob said:

Being 1st is all that matters and its the boards duty to put out a team to do that next season.

Agreed, none of this we are just happy to compete pish. 

Just win the fucking league. 

[K.A.I 36,183]

1 hour ago, wearethepeople1 said:

In the context of the situation, 2nd and 3rd have the exact same rewards. Winning the Scottish cup is an achievement, pipping Aberdeen to 2nd isn't 

That's why I put prestige at the end as there's a big difference finishing 3rd to a shite Aberdeen team 

[K.A.I 36,183]

1 hour ago, lidorfc said:

There is nothing prestigious about second place mate.

Compared to third ?? 

[Drunk and disorderly. 14,748]

Knocking the filth out of the cup and stopping their treble should be the immediate priority. Hopefully go on to win it and get at least third in the leauge. 

[Misteral 2,932]

He right when he says 2nd is fuck all but if we do that this season it will make me happy and from where we are right now it will be a good achievement and also make us feel more confident about next year. The only downer on that it is DK might withhold some transfer money as a result.  Rock and a hard place. 

[reallyruff 622]

3 hours ago, K.A.I said:

I'm sorry but Numan is wrong in the sense that second Is not good enough - but it's a must 

prestige 

 

 

2 hours ago, K.A.I said:

That's why I put prestige at the end as there's a big difference finishing 3rd to a shite Aberdeen team 

 

2 hours ago, K.A.I said:

Compared to third ?? 

Sorry mate but I've never seen second place finishes included on any honours list so don't see where it's considered prestigious. Maybe for others but to me Rangers have never been also-rans.

[K.A.I 36,183]

17 minutes ago, reallyruff said:

 

 

Sorry mate but I've never seen second place finishes included on any honours list so don't see where it's considered prestigious. Maybe for others but to me Rangers have never been also-rans.

You're missing my point entirely you didn't take into account me saying second isn't good enough but it's a must in terms of prestige - there's also about 200k of difference in prize money 

why has the narrative changed on this since Aberdeen created a gap? Finishing third behind a shite Aberdeen team or second to a rampant Celtic and another 200k ... think about it 

[wilberforce1 605]

4 hours ago, K.A.I said:

I'm sorry but Numan is wrong in the sense that second Is not good enough - but it's a must 

prestige 

 

This is you typing the above (big shoes not pictured).

 

 

[K.A.I 36,183]

1 minute ago, wilberforce1 said:

This is you typing the above (big shoes not pictured).

 

 

Did I spell it wrong or something? 

Or do you not feel embarrassed finishing third in a terrible league behind a shit Aberdeen side? If that's no problem then I think your the clown ... but your not the only one ... standards in our support went a long long time ago and some of the replies here prove it 

[cushynumber 25,178]

 Next season will be too early to compete for the title

 

[wilberforce1 605]

6 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

Did I spell it wrong or something? 

Or do you not feel embarrassed finishing third in a terrible league behind a shit Aberdeen side? If that's no problem then I think your the clown ... but your not the only one ... standards in our support went a long long time ago and some of the replies here prove it 

Aye, and in years to come, we'll be regaling the grandkids with tales of how we pipped a shite Aberdeen side to 2nd place.... or not, as is more likely.

 

I do agree that Aberdeen are shite, though.

[wilberforce1 605]

5 minutes ago, K.A.I said:

Did I spell it wrong or something? 

Or do you not feel embarrassed finishing third in a terrible league behind a shit Aberdeen side? If that's no problem then I think your the clown ... but your not the only one ... standards in our support went a long long time ago and some of the replies here prove it 

You take things way too seriously.