The exit of manager Pedro Caixinha appeared to have a transformative effect on the Rangers squad, as well as the supporters who prop up the bar here in the Transfer Tavern. Indeed, while merely winning over Hearts may not change the course of their campaign, it’s at least a fairly promising sign. 

Whoever replaces Caixinha will struggle to do worse than the Portuguese at Ibrox. While the squad may be far from perfect, the Light Blues do have a serious amount of talent to play with when battling domestic rivals, despite a bizarre summer recruitment drive.

Even one game into his departure, the Gers looked a lot happier under Graeme Murty and the side looked far more cohesive during the win over the Jambos. With that in mind, here’s a look at the THREE main Rangers players who are most likely to thrive without Caixinha, no matter who takes over the club.

Kenny Miller

The obvious choice. Having fallen out with Caixinha, the veteran striker returned at Tynecastle and bagged two goals, proving his worth in the Scottish league.

Though Alfredo Morelos is certainly a talent, Miller knows what it takes to score goals at this level like the back of his hand and him in the team can only be used to the talented, yet rough diamond, that is the aforementioned Colombian marksman.

Carlos Pena

Now, Pena may not have set the world alight since arriving in Glasgow over the course of the summer and a lot of that is his fault. However, with Caixinha not knowing how to properly stabilise his team for any longer than two games, the Mexican international should perform better with a defined role in their midfield.

There’ve certainly been glimpses of talent, so perhaps he could prove to be a good signing after all.

Niko Kranjcar

If the new man can get the team set up well, making them compact, then the playmaking talents of Niko Kranjcar should come to the fore. The Croatian has proven to be a disappointment since arriving last summer, though has been playing in a team that doesn’t know what it wants to be.

Should he be handed a free role behind the striker, with a strong midfield base behind him, the former Tottenham man should be a cut above SPFL defences.