Pedro Caixinha says leaks from within Rangers dressing room must stop

RANGERS manager Pedro Caixinha has vowed to crack down on leaks from the dressing room.

Caixinha has been unhappy with a number of stories dripping out about his first-team squad since taking charge six weeks ago.

His latest gripe came after news broke that he told defenders Clint Hill and Philippe Senderos they will not be handed new deals for next season.

Now the Portuguese boss has promised to find the source of the leaks, and warned that anyone caught speaking out of turn will risk his wrath.

He said: “We don’t comment on speculation. I can confirm I’ve spoken to three players so far and those three players know what is going to happen for next season.

“The majority of the speculation is coming from inside and that is my main concern. If they are coming from inside I cannot stay that happy with that situation.

“We need to identify (who is leaking) and then seal it. We are a big club and a big club cannot have this sort of behaviour.

“We are ruled and managed from inside out – but our way, not the other way around. When I stay here, that is the way we are going to behave and work.

“No leaks, no leaks. That is a point we definitely need to understand.

“(The leaks) are not destabilising for myself. It’s something I don’t like but I keep doing my job.

“I found when I was working at Sporting Lisbon that things came out easy. Benfica rules Portuguese football nowadays. But back then it was Porto.

“I can tell you something – nothing comes out from Benfica unless they want it to be known. That is why they are successful.

“With Porto in those days, I used to remember they had a president who said when players were coming in or moving, ‘If something appeared in a newspaper and I’m dealing with you, our deal is done. I’m not dealing with you’.

“I found that a very good principle and they were successful. I try to follow successful people, not the opposite.”

With that message in mind, Caixinha declined to discuss reports he is set tolaunch a bid for Motherwell defender Ben Heneghan.

But the former Santos Laguna boss did give an insight into his hard-line approach by admitting he decided to make an example of Michael O’Halloran after he failed to turn up for an Under-20s game.

The former St Johnstone winger was made to train away from the first team as punishment for that incident, but it later emerged his penance included having to start work at the club’s Auchenhowie training base as early as 7am.

However, Caixinha believes his strict methods are what will be required if he is to drive up standards at Ibrox.

“We have rules and principles and those who are not following these rules and principles – which are related to standards – need to learn and sometimes be an example to the others,” he said.

“Michael in that moment received one schedule in order to feel apart from the team. Because he was apart from the team he had to train different hours, so that was the reason why he was training earlier and later on.

“As long as I am the manager of this team I will manage the things my way, because I am here to defend the group of players who want to follow the standards.

“I will defend this club by keeping the highest standards all the time.”

Caixinha has already admitted that raising standards on the pitch may not be possible with his current group.

But he is wasting little time as he eyes up a list of replacements for the players who have struggled this season.

He said: “I hope to be near the end [of the recruitment process]. We are dealing with the clubs, we are dealing with the players and also the agents.

“Everything is rolling in the direction we intend to go.

“We have more or less three weeks before we restart the next season so we are working on it and we hope to have all the signings [completed] sooner rather than later.”

In the meantime, he may have to turn to youngsters like Jamie Barjonas once more when his team host Hearts on Saturday.

Danny Wilson was spotted walking about Auchenhowie wearing a knee brace after limping off against Partick Thistle last weekend.

He will now see a specialist on Tuesday but Caixinha confirmed his campaign is over.

Midfield loan duo Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral have also returned to parent clubs Bournemouth and Arsenal after picking up knocks of their own, meaning Barjonas is likely to be given another chance after making his debut at Firhill.

Caixinha said: “If I have to use the youth players I will. We used Jamie on Sunday and he did very well. These youth players can be an option as well.”