Pedro Caixinha insists Niko Kranjcar can be his quarterback

[ian1964 10,457]

PASS MASTER Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha insists Niko Kranjcar can be his quarterback as he prepares for next season

 

The former Tottenham midfielder hasn't featured for the Ibrox side since October

 

PEDRO CAIXINHA will pin his hopes on Niko Kranjcar becoming the quarterback who can orchestrate Rangers’ recovery to the top.

 

The Gers boss confirmed the 32-year-old midfielder has returned to full training after undergoing a cruciate knee operation in October.

 

Caixinha firmly believes the talented playmaker has all the quality to be Scottish football’s MVP next season.

 

He admits Kranjcar’s recovery from career-saving surgery could also save him a draft pick this summer as he sets about completely rebuilding his squad.

The Portuguese has already earmarked the 81-times capped Croatian to be the team’s main offensive co-ordinator.

 

He said: “I do like pedigree players. He’s going to be a new player for us and he can play for sure. He has the quality, understanding and leadership.

 

“He is the type of player that the team can be controlled by regarding the pace and tempo of the game, the style of play we want to perform. He fits totally into Scottish football.“He has nothing to prove as an individual but he is committed and is looking to perform at his best level for Rangers.

 

“He has a lot to give us and he identified Rangers as one of the biggest clubs he has played for.“I met him at the last stage of his recovery but I can tell you what a great professional he is.“He is the first one to arrive at training and normally the last one to go.

 

“He’s always available to discuss football and I like players who want to discuss football, about training sessions and everything else.“The guys from American football used to say you have your quarterback and you have these sort of conversations.“In their type of football the coach and the quarterback discuss things together and plan things together.“It’s that sort of relationship I like to have with players.”

 

Caixinha has made it clear he wants to fill his squad with pace and power.

 

But the Rangers manager is also aware there needs to be room for poise and panache.

 

That’s where he sees Kranjcar fitting in.He said: “I like high pace and rhythm but I like to control the rhythm. We cannot play all the time at a high tempo.“Having players who can perform like that is always important for a squad and Niko is definitely one of those players.“He knows us, we know him and we both know what we want from one another.“He gives us different options and characteristics about how to perform in a football match.”

 

Caixinha is confident that Kranjcar will make a full recovery despite turning 33 in August.

 

The Rangers manager has been impressed by the desire of the ex-Portsmouth and Spurs star, who will take a personal trainer with him on holiday to make sure he’s in perfect shape for the start of pre-season training on June 5.

 

He added: “Niko is already training with the team. He is getting his fitness levels up and so is Jordan Rossiter — he started later than Niko.“With injuries the doctors normally work by numbers.“But all of us have different bodies that react differently to the same situations. That’s what happened with Niko. He’s a hard guy, a tough guy and he’s doing everything he possibly can in order to recover and come back in the best possible condition.

 

“He just asked me, ‘what should I do on my vacation because I’m going to work with my personal trainer?’.“I said he didn’t have to do anything else, just get in your rhythm and come back at the same level as everyone else. This shows he’s already looking forward to pre-season.”

 

Rossiter is a couple of weeks behind Kranjcar in terms of his fitness, but Caixinha is hopeful his injury woes are behind him.

 

The ex-Liverpool kid has been sidelined since August with a recurring back problem which has also caused issues with his hamstrings.

 

However, after being treated by the English FA’s medical staff at St George’s Park the 20-year-old is finally on the mend.Caixinha also reckons the youngster can play a vital role for Rangers next season.

 

He added: “He’s just coming back but you can see he has a nice first touch.“He is a holding midfielder, which I call a number six, and is very important in the first build-up between the centre-halves to receive and clear the ball from there — the build-up, the division of play and the balance.

 

“If I blur the lines with one single pass, I do it. If I need to switch from the closed side to the open side, I do it.“I like those sort of players who play at six. For a team that needs control and initiative of the game, it’s a key position.”

 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/1036243/rangers-boss-pedro-caixinha-insists-niko-kranjcar-can-be-his-quarterback-as-he-prepares-for-next-season/

[barca72 440]

Niko showed enough last season to merit taking a chance on him.

God I hope PC gets this right because we need to hit the ground running in these Europa qualifiers.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

The thought of Kranjcar controlling our MF the way he did at home against Thistle and especially at Inverness has me drooling. If he can come back strong and avoid injury again, he will make the world of difference.

[Gribz 743]

Fitness will be Kranjcar's issue, he took about 8 games to get match fit this season and being out so long may take him the same again but its good news he is trying and taking a personal trainer on holiday. At 32 (going 33) we should get 2 good seasons out of him.

[jhunter 0]

he's absolutely done, finished and that was BEFORE he sustained a CL injury

[limeburner 0]

So,Pedro sees Kranjar as a bit of a midfield general. A tough guy. Oh dear.

[Gribz 743]

So,Pedro sees Kranjar as a bit of a midfield general. A tough guy. Oh dear.

 

I think Rousseau posted a good article about how the tough tackling centre midfielder has gone - yet the Scottish game could be different, the standard is still rough and tumble most of the time. Whilst I dont see Kranjcar as the midfield general I do see him more as a playmaker going forward and having a Stuart McCall in the side would get the best out of him.

[limeburner 0]

I think Rousseau posted a good article about how the tough tackling centre midfielder has gone - yet the Scottish game could be different, the standard is still rough and tumble most of the time. Whilst I dont see Kranjcar as the midfield general I do see him more as a playmaker going forward and having a Stuart McCall in the side would get the best out of him.

Looks like the Stuart mc Call type is going to be Rossiter(going by the article).

Are these two the types to build a midfield from---------i dont think so.Riddled with injury problems.

[SteveC 150]

The thought of Kranjcar controlling our MF the way he did at home against Thistle and especially at Inverness has me drooling. If he can come back strong and avoid injury again, he will make the world of difference.

 

Agreed but unfortunately the "if" is a big one. We wouldn't have had him at our club at all were there not doubts about him even before this latest setback - and it was a big one, especially at his age.

[ranger_syntax 3,795]

Anything that either player contributes will be a bonus.