After tales about the lifestyle of Carlos Pena one Ibrox rumour that refuses to go away is the rift between Kenny Miller and Pedro Caixinha.
The 37-year-old was given a 12 month contract extension last season but has looked far from happy on the park this season.
With Caixinha dismantling last season’s squad Miller’s pals went out the door one by one during the transfer window.
Their Latin replacements, with the exception of Alfredo Morelos ,have failed spectacularly leaving a large onus on Miller to cover up for his under performing team-mates.
Reports of Miller’s unhappiness have been across the internet for weeks.
Away to Partick Thistle last Friday Miller was substituted and looked far from happy at that decision.
Previewing the League Cup tie Caixinha revealed that he had given Miller time off to be with his family.
When the team was announced on Saturday the 37-year-old was on the bench watching Pena getting dragged around the park as if he was towing Pedro’s caravan.
Commenting on that in the Daily Record Keith Jackson claimed: “To place Pena up against Brown on Saturday was a monumentally bad idea but Caixinha appeared hellbent on carrying it out from the moment he told Kenny Miller to stay away from Firhill last Tuesday.
“And that makes it even worse because otherwise Caixinha might have been able to explain it away as a bad call in the heat of the moment.
“Instead he spent days calculating the risks without ever appearing to realise Pena may not be fit enough to lace Brown’s boots. The Mexican is so out of condition he’d possibly run out of breath after his first.
“While veteran Miller may be struggling for form he’d most certainly have had the energy and desire to give Brown a sterner examination.
“It could be that there is some issue developing between the manager and his experienced talisman, perhaps not dissimilar to the situation that festered between Barry Ferguson and Paul Le Guen – the last Gers boss to have hovered around the 50 per cent win rate.”
One of le Guen’s last decisions was to drop Ferguson from the team and remove the captaincy.
Following a 2-1 defeat away to Inverness Caley Thistle the Frenchman was sacked and Ferguson reinstated at the old club.
The moment the gap grows beyond eight points Caixinha’s caravan will be ditched with Miller or Graham Murty the leading candidates for the caretaker role.
