PEDRO CAIXINHA has claimed his Rangers line-up was passed to St Johnstone before their Premiership clash at McDiarmid Park in May.
The Light Blues boss was responding to comments from Saints striker Steven MacLean this week when he said that Caixinha should stop wasting his time with ‘mind games’ and focus on stopping dressing room leaks.
Caixinha stated on Monday that he had arranged a bounce game with Morton during the international break because Jim Duffy’s side have ‘more or less the same philosophy’ as the Saints.
But as he responded to MacLean at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the Portuguese expressed his belief that Tommy Wright’s side new their plans before the final game of last season.
Caixinha made four changes to his line-up from the previous match with Aberdeen as he handed starts to Jak Alnwick, Myles Beerman, Jamie Barjonas and Martyn Waghorn.
And he reckons that is why the issue of dressing room leaks has come back to the fore ahead of Friday’s trip to McDiarmid Park.
Caixinha said: “When I say that, we might have similar teams, for example, because of the formation.
“It is true or not true that Morton play 4-4-2? It is true or not true that St Johnstone play 4-4-2? So we have one common point, right.
“It is true or not true that they look for the strikers up in front, that they play more long balls and second waves and set pieces and crosses? So we have two common points.
Read more: Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha insists he has no issue with striker Kenny Miller
“So when I am saying that, I am not saying this… I never referred to level. Did I refer to level? No.
“I say formation and the style of play is the same, so it is going to fit for us in the preparation.
“But his problem is not about that. His problem is that he refer leaks, for me to be more aware about the leaks, right?
“Do you know why he refers that? I am going to tell you in the first person and maybe that is his concern.
“Last season when we go to play St Johnstone, it was the last match, remember?
“I never changed my schedule, I never change my programmes and I don’t have any sort of connection with the other clubs.
“So we train all the time 10 o’clock. Last season we train 10 o’clock the day before the match.
“Normally in that day, sometimes we might know the first eleven. OK? How we are going to start.
“Do you know what time we trained St Johnstone that day?
“You know why? Because of the leaks, expecting to know our eleven to train after they know it.
“So maybe that is the concern now. Maybe they are not going to know it.”
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