MY WARRIORS CAN STOP CELTS TREBLE

Pedro Caixinha last night declared his Rangers team are ready to end Celtic’s Treble dream. The Ibrox men’s 2-0 win over Partick Thistle yesterday sees them take an eight-game unbeaten run and three straight clean sheets into their Scottish Cup semi with the Premiership and Betfred Cup winners next Sunday.

With Celtic unbeaten in 39 domestic games, Caixinha is confident his “11 warriors” can spring the same Hampden shock Gers produced at the same stage last season. Asked if they were ready to beat Celtic, the Portuguese coach insisted: “This team is always ready to beat anyone and Celtic is the next one. The

history of this team is about this. We need to be ready and prepare for the game.

“The approach to the game is going to be different – it’s an Old Firm game, a knockout game, and I like the strategic side of the game so I’m looking forward to preparing for it.”

Still missing the experience of skipper Lee Wallace, Rob Kieran and Clint Hill at the back yesterday, Caixinha admitted he wasn’t content with the defending, despite the clean sheet.

But he insists he has faith even if none of them make it back for next week to displace rookies David Bates and Myles Beerman.

He shrugged: “I just hope to have 11 warriors starting the game.

“One point I am not totally happy about is our performance defending. Normally we see the result and we see zero goals in Kilmarnock, zero goals at Aberdeen and zero goals against Partick.

‘But I know we need to improve a lot in defending as a team and not only the back four or the goalkeeper himself.

“It’s also true we are not letting the opponent create so many clear chances against us, which is good. But I want more, so I want more collective performances defending and need to keep working on it.”

The manager also expressed his unhappiness at a sluggish start from his side. He said: “I didn’t like at all the way we got into the game, the first 30 minutes was not the way we prepared to play this match.

“The last 15 of the first half was better and the first 20 of the second half was everything we wanted. So I’m pleased.”