PEDRO CAIXINHA admitted he didn’t have the answers to Rangers’ European capitulation on the worst night of his managerial career.
The Portuguese saw his side crash out of the Europa League last night after an embarrassing 2-0 defeat to Progres Niederkorn.
Rangers went into the second leg with a 1-0 advantage but turned in an abysmal performance in the Stade Josy Barthel to suffer arguably their most humiliating defeat in continental action.
Read more: Progres 2-0 Rangers: Pedro Caixinha's side crash out of the Europa League
Caixinha faced calls of ‘out, out, out’ as furious fans barracked the Gers as they made their way onto the team bus.
He said: “One thing I’m totally sure of, I strongly believe and even more now because I’m a guy that always sees things forward that on bad moments you see the right people and I know the group of players I have.
“I know I can count on them, we are building something that was no counting today because we were not to go as we hopes and again I assume all the responsibility not to pass this qualifier and try to get to the group stages that was our main goal.
“But I know this group is going to be on the top again and is going to build very good things for the club.
“One word for the fans, they are the only ones that never deserve this sort of thing, they need to be angry at this moment and we understand they are angry but we ask them to keep believing in the team and have loyalty because the team will come good.
Read more: Progres 2-0 Rangers: Pedro Caixinha's side crash out of the Europa League
“Yes, of course [I’m the man to take Rangers forward]. If I was not just by one thing that happened and was unthinkable to all of us and I’m not showing strength to move the things forward then I couldn’t be in this chair.
“So I’m strongly convinced I can do it, I’m strongly convinced I have the group to do it and I believe I need to be here to take the group forward.”
Rangers controlled the opening exchanges of the second leg but struggled to break down the Progres defensive line once again.
Niko Kranjcar, Josh Windass and Kenny Miller hit the bar as Caixinha’s side pushed for a late lifeline but goals from Emmanuel Francoise and Sebastien Thill condemned them to defeat.
The Portuguese will now come under intense pressure from supporters weeks before the Premiership campaign as his new-look side suffered Euro ignominy.
Caixinha said: “The unthinkable happened. It is something that only happens once in a lifetime.
“I accept all the responsibility for that happened.
Read more: Progres 2-0 Rangers: Pedro Caixinha's side crash out of the Europa League
“I don’t have the answers as to why the players didn’t perform.
“I told the players at half-time that we were not respecting the opponent. You cannot afford to do that.
“We allowed them to start believing and they realised they could harm us.
“We conceded silly set-pieces which led to both goals.
“I’m not going to talk about the chances we had or the times we hit the woodwork.
“They scored two goals and that’s all that counts.
“It is again something makes part of a match when the results are not coming.
“I am the first face they come against and, if you don’t deliver results, you have to expect that. The fans are going to demand from you.
“I know coming to a massive club like this that, when these things happens, I am the one who is going to be on the front line. I respect that, but I will keep doing my job going forward.”
It will be a case of one in and one out at Ibrox in the coming days as Graham Dorrans and Barrie McKay get set to clinch their respective moves.
McKay will be reunited with Mark Warburton at Nottingham Forest, while Dorrans is now poised to complete his move from Norwich.
“It looks like it is going to go through,” Caixinha said of Dorrans. “We hope to have confirmation in the next days.”
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