PEDRO Caixinha last night accepted full responsibility for the 2-0 defeat Rangers suffered to Motherwell in the Betfred Cup semi-final which has put his job in jeopardy.
Caixinha was sent to the stand at Hampden along with his opposite number Stephen Robinson for complaining about one of referee Steven McLean’s decisions.
However, the Portugese coach declined to blame the match official for the disappointing last four loss and admitted that he had to take full blame.
“I want to congratulate the team that won today’s game,” he said. “I need to assume all the responsibility for our team because of the way the team presented themselves.
“They were a shade of the team they needed to be. The opponent played better, they played their own game and we allowed them to play their own game.
“We couldn’t play our game, we couldn’t find a way to play it and that is the main reason why the opponent won the game.”
Caixinha added: “I got a little bit angry when I saw Fabio’s nose (centre half Cardoso had to leave the field after a challenge by Ryan Bowman).
“We know the team was going to play aggressively, but you also have to look at the rules. The rules don’t allow handballs they don’t allow elbows. That was all I said. But what happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch.
Read more: Tam McManus: Going all-in on Caixinha at Rangers hasn’t paid off for Dave King
“But our performance was very poor, our performance was not anywhere near it needed to be. When that happens I need to assume full responsibility.
“We were very poor and we allowed the opponent to play the game they wanted to play. We didn’t get close enough to the opponent and we deserved to lose the match.”
Dave King, the Rangers chairman, was at the game yesterday and Caixinha, who confirmed he will speak to the major shareholder, admitted he was disappointed not to deliver the right result.
“We are pleased he is here, but we are not pleased because we wanted to deliver a win for him and for this fanbase,” he said. “They are fantastic all the time, supporting us. It was not possible. Once again, I’m responsible for that.
“I’m not under pressure or under stress or whatever. It’s something which is not part of my vocabulary. But of course at this moment, I’m certainly disappointed.”
Meanwhile, Robinson, the Motherwell manager last night thanked the Fir Park board for refusing to sell Louis Moult, who scored both goals yesterday, in the summer after Aberdeen made a £350,000 bid.
“The money people put in didn’t justify us selling him,” he said. “We spoke to Louis and explained the situation and he’s 100 per cent committed and brings quality.
“I have to praise the board and Alan Burrows (Motherwell chief operating officer) for standing firm. It’s easy as a smaller club to crumble, but we didn’t. We knew his value and we got our just rewards today.”
Motherwell will take on Celtic, who stretched their unbeaten domestic run to 60 games with their semi-final win over Hibernian on Saturday, in the final at Hampden on November 26.
Robinson refused to rule out his side lifting their first piece of silverware since their epic Scottish Cup success in 1991.
“It would be nice to beat them, wouldn’t it?” he said. “Somebody has got to beat them. Why not us? You saw today, the belief gets more and more as the game goes on.
“They know they are fitter and stronger than other teams. They have a togetherness and a real solidarity within the club, not just the starting eleven.
“Throughout the 20 players there are no big time Charlies. So that gets you where you need to go.”
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