IT is mind over matter, psychology over physiology. Day by day, week by week, the Pedro Caixinha blueprint becomes clearer at Ibrox.

Every manager has a philosophy of how the game should be played and an ethos that they attempt to follow in the pursuit of wins and silverware.

Caixinha laid his out during his interview with Stewart Robertson, Graeme Park and Andrew Dickson as he convinced the Light Blues contingent that he was the man to replace Mark Warburton as boss.

The Ibrox crowd were given their first sight of a Caixinha team before the international break as Rangers swept aside Hamilton Accies to get a new era off to a comfortable start.

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Now, with another fortnight of training under their belts, the Gers will take to the field under Caixinha’s guidance for the second time when they face Motherwell this weekend.

While his predecessor repeatedly insisted that the focus was only on Rangers, Caixinha casts an intrigued eye over the opposition as he looks to enhance his knowledge of the Scottish game.

During his pre-match media conference at Auchenhowie on Thursday, the Portuguese talked tactics and transitions, phases and interpretations.

Every match is a different problem that will require a different approach to uncover a different solution. The outcome must always be three points, though.

Caixinha spoke about ‘behaviours’ and ‘principles’ and how his side will perform to their ‘identity’ in around 80 per cent of the matches they play this season.

He presents an overview of the 90 minutes, but breaks the action down into ‘moments’ – from offensive organisation to defensive transition, defensive organisation and offensive transition – in what he calls the ‘dynamic’ part of the game. The other – the ‘static’ - concerns set-pieces, and there is plenty of room for improvement on that front for Rangers.

Caixinha is meticulous in his approach and he is pleased with the way his messages have been received by his players. Now, their efforts on the training pitch will be put to the test on the park once again.

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Caixinha said: “I always say, this is the third time I will say I will say it, my players are all the best ones, my squad is the best one, my club is the best one.

“We are Rangers. We need to think like that, we need to act like that, we need to have that mentality.

“The players have done a fantastic job. If the philosophy of one style of game is different, that means the stimulations you receive to that style of game are different.

“The stimulations they are receiving now are different. Stimulations lead to adaptions, so these stimulations lead to different adaptations.

“Are they adapted to this? They are getting adapted and they are doing a fantastic job regarding the stimulations they are receiving and the adaptations they are receiving.”

For a squad that was engrained in the Warburton way of working, and his 4-3-3 formation, the opening weeks of the Caixinha reign have been a marked change.

The 46-year-old has put his own weekly plan in place. Wednesday will no longer be a day off for the players while each pattern must end with a match situation, like it did at the weekend as the first team and Under-20 squads played a bounce game at Ibrox.

The demands are mental as much as they are physical. Caixinha has his ideology, but it is mixed with realism.

“They have [to be intelligent],” Caixinha said. “You need to teach them more than coach them, you need to educate them and let them see the game like this.

“You need to establish priorities if you want them to see a clear picture.

“We are focused on those moments of the game because it is the majority of what we are going to face, this is going to be our reality.

“We focus on that and, of course, we are working on different situations. These adaptations are not only physical.

“The majority say it is about fitness. Fitness is important, but for us it is just one regime.

“What is really important is the dominant, that is the main principle. One is tactical, the other is physiological.

“It takes some time to get adapted but the players need to be intelligent.

“The best players are the most intelligent ones. They are wise about the game, they read the game, they understand the game and they make better decisions.

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“I need to create the training to get those stimulations both ways. It is about them understanding what is going on and taking decisions so they need to be aware all the time, making decisions all the time.”

It will take time for the Rangers squad to adapt to Caixinha’s methods, just as it will take the Portuguese a while to become fully adjusted to life in Glasgow.

Many, rightly or wrongly, view Scottish football as being more blood and thunder than tactical tinkering and philosophies. It is, for some, old school rather than modern and forward thinking.

But Caixinha believes the mentality of our game and the passion of our supporters should be seen as a positive and a foundation upon which to build for improvement in other aspects.

“It is a very interesting question because it reminds me of the places I have worked before I arrived here,” he said.

“In Qatar, for example, they are very skilful but I believe it is difficult to transmit passion to them. Mexican players are very skilful as well but they don’t have the same level of professionalism.

“In all places, you have very good points and other points you are weaker at so you need to balance these things.

“But, if you ask me ‘do you prefer your players to be passionate?’ I will totally agree.

“The only point that is not negotiable with us is the attitude. Guys that are committed to run are guys that are committed to learn. It is easy to lead them in this direction.”