AS somebody who was something of a leftfield appointment himself, it should really be no great shock that new Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has sprung a surprise with his choice of local assistant coach.
The Portuguese has only been in Scotland for a matter of weeks and has taken charge of the team for just four games. But during that brief time he has quickly developed a reputation for being unconventional. His decision on the final member of his backroom team, then, is entirely in keeping with his personality.
John Brown, Barry Ferguson, Peter Lovenkrands, Alex Rae and Kevin Thomson – men who have all been distinguished servants for the Ibrox club as players over the years and who, in many cases, retain a strong affiliation to the Glasgow institution - were each spoken to about the position.
Caixinha, though, has opted for Jonatan Johansson, the Finnish striker who spent little more than three seasons at Rangers in the late 1990s and early 2000s and played fewer than 50 first team games for them in total, as his No.3.
Johansson may have enjoyed a decent career with his country - he scored 22 goals for his national team in 106 internationals - and at club level - he also played with Charlton, Norwich City and Malmo - but his coaching experience is hardly extensive.
The 41-year-old has spent spells in charge of Morton reserves, the under-20 team at Motherwell and as assistant to Finland since retiring from playing.
He may know both Scotland – he is married to the television presenter Jean Johansson and has lived here for many years – and Scottish football well but it is not immediately obvious to many supporters why he was preferred to other contenders for the sought-after post.
Yet, Ian Baraclough, the former Motherwell manager who worked alongside Johansson during his stay at Fir Park, understands exactly why Caixinha has opted for the Scandinavian ahead of his fellow hopefuls and believes it is an inspired choice.
He predicted that Johansson - who will join assistant Helder Baptista, fitness coach Pedro Malta and goalkeeping coach Jose Belman on the Rangers staff - will play an important role ensuring that promising youngsters coming through at Auchenhowie fulfil their potential and force their way into the first team.
“I thought Jon was an excellent coach,” he said. “He wasn’t involved with the first team during my time at Motherwell, but the quality of his work with the under-20 team was obvious for me and everyone at the club to see.
“When he decided to move on after three years it was entirely his choice. I would have been more than happy to keep him. He coached the kids well, was keen to learn and put in a wealth of hard work on the training pitch.
“For me, it’s a very good appointment for both Rangers and for him. I think that both parties will benefit from their association going forward.”
Baraclough added: “Jon was just starting out as a coach when he was at Motherwell. I think he wanted to work with youngsters to begin with. It was a smart move. You always want to play well and get results as a coach. But when you are working with kids it is not the be all and end all.
“You can work on things. If you make an error you can learn from it and move forward. It doesn’t necessarily mean you are instantly under massive pressure to perform in the short-term. Many good managers have started out at that level.
“Jonatan is someone who is definitely very calm and placid in nature. He communicated his message clearly and spoke to the boys as adults. In this day and age, you have to treat kids like that. But, at the same time, if he needed to speak to the boys sternly then he would do that.”
Motherwell surprised Scottish football when their under-20 team thrashed Hearts 5-2 in the Scottish Youth Cup final at Hampden last season to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
Stephen Craigan was the man in the dugout that day – but Baraclough believes that Johansson also deserves a great deal of the credit having worked with many of the players responsible during the previous three seasons.
“The majority of the group would have known Jon and would have worked with him before he left,” he said. “They would have had access to him and have trained under him.
“Stephen came in when Jon moved on and did fantastically well with the group. But Jon would have to take some of the credit for the success and I am sure Stephen will be the first to acknowledge that.”
It will, of course, be a far more demanding proposition helping Rangers to enjoy success domestically and in Europe in the coming season. But Baraclough, who is now the assistant manager at English League One club Oldham Athletic, is sure Johansson will be able to help Caixinha achieve his aims.
“I think it’s a smart move by Rangers bringing in somebody with knowledge of Scottish football and a link to the club to help the manager,” he said. “I think Jon will be able to provide an invaluable insight into the game here which could make a difference for Caixinha. He will also contribute great coaching expertise. He will not be afraid to volunteer an opinion."
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