‘We hunt not with a dog but with a cat’ – Braga boss Carvalhal’s Caixinha-style cryptic warning ahead of Rangers clash
CARLOS CARVALHAL used a cryptic Pedro Caixinha-style Portuguese expression to sum up the tactics he plans to employ in Braga's Europa League quarter final tie against Rangers.
The former Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City man knows that his Braga side can't call upon the resources of some of the giant clubs left in the competition.
He admits that his team didn't have the individual quality of the Monaco side that they just overcame over two legs.
Braga - who sit fourth in the Portuguese top flight - have sold players for £45m during his time at the club and blooded 13 young players from the club's academy - and still made it to three cup finals.
And Carvalhal - who once had talks with Rangers over the manager's job - reckons "he who doesn't have a dog hunts with a cat" when they take on the Gers over two games with a slot in the last four at stake.
In other words, you have to make the most of the resources you have at your disposal and Braga plan to do that.
It is all redolent of ex-Gers boss Caixinha who memorably said 'the dogs bark and the caravan keeps going' when things started to go south for him at Rangers.
Asked specifically what his message would be ahead of the Rangers tie, he told Sky Sports: "Well, I just think about something - we hunt not with a dog but with a cat.
"Monaco as you know after PSG have the best squad in France.
"Individually they are really very strong, fantastic players and we beat them because we play like a team.
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"We believe in the group spirit, the dynamic. We believe a lot in that and we believe that can make the difference.
"If you go to individuals at his moment we wouldn't be in the Europa League for sure because Monaco's level is much higher than ours.
"When I finished my contract, I had some contacts with massive clubs like Flamengo in Brazil but I preferred to stay in Braga because it is something that I want to finish.
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"I live 1km from the stadium and after almost two years we have achieved three finals - the cup final that we won, the league cup, the Super Cup.
"We had very good results in the Europa League last season and this season as well. We sell players for 45 million Euros.
"We blood in 13 boys from the academy and we are still very very positive."
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