PEDRO Caixinha said his team have earned new respect from their Ladbrokes Premiership opponents this season - even though yesterday's goalless draw against Hearts means the Ibrox side have taken one point out of six from back-to-back home meetings against the capital clubs.
Rangers - who were booed off yesterday - already trail early top flight leaders Celtic, Aberdeen and St Johnstone by five points, but the club's Portuguese manager said he wasn't overly concerned just yet. They just have to move the ball quicker and come up with solutions to stop teams like Hearts sitting deep and using a limited game plan to come away with a point.
"It is a frustrating result of course - it is the second game in a row that we didn't win," he said. "But when you create chances the way we created today and dominate the way we did today then I am not concerned.
"I am surprised in a good way about how opponents are respecting us," Caixinha added. "You see a very good striker like [Kyle] Lafferty spends all the entire match acting more like a left back than a left winger that shows the respect they show us. When I arrived at Ibrox last season I understood that other teams were not respecting us, and today I feel that respect from the way the teams approach the game."
His opposite number, Hearts interim boss Jon Daly, said he was happy with the result but in the dark as to whether he could be offered the job on a permanent basis this week. He also said that he had identified the players need to be fitter than they were under Ian Cathro.
“No news is good news - it means I stay in the job, which is good for me," said Daly. "I think this result shows I'm comfortable taking a first-team regardless if it's Hearts or anyone else. I'll always back myself and back my ability to do the job.
"As a club we probably could have done more with them [in pre-season training], but obviously the manager was trying to implement the 3-4-3 system at the time and make sure he had that covered. But from my point of view the fitness levels are off where I would personally like them to be."
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