NEIL Lennon has questioned why Rangers ever decided to bring Pedro Caixinha from Qatar and into the “unforgiving environment” of Old Firm management.

Betfred Cup semi-final defeat to Motherwell and Wednesday’s dramatic draw with Kilmarnock sparked the end of Caixinha’s turbulent seven-month reign as Rangers boss on Thursday.

Former Celtic manager Lennon expressed sympathy for the Portuguese, who had previously managed in his homeland plus Mexico as well as in Qatar.

But the Hibernian head coach added: “The Rangers public and the board will have expected better results and I understand that to a certain extent.

“It’s a tough environment, the Old Firm, and maybe you have to question the appointment in the first place.

“Not many people had heard of him and to bring him into that environment, not really knowing what he was going into, it’s very, very difficult. I have seen it before with other managers.

“It’s an unforgiving environment and the expectation is you have to win and do it in a certain style.”

The former Leicester and Celtic player said: “It does help to have that understanding of the environment you are going into. And it’s still eye-opening when you do come in.

“When I first came in as a player, I was like ‘wow’. I didn’t realise how intense it was going to be and I had played in the Premier League for five years previously.

“That surprised me and I knew about the club from growing up.”

Brendan Rodgers also supported Celtic as a boy and felt he had a head start when he became manager last year.

Rodgers said: “If you understand, it gives you that depth of knowledge into the real roots of the clubs and you know what it means to people, because you have grown up with those people.

“But that can work in two ways because you can over-think things, feel that pressure too much.

“Whoever goes into any job, and if it is the Rangers job then you need to be clear in your thinking and understand the strategy of the club, understand where the interests lie in the club, then you have to be decisive and coach and manage accordingly.

“But I can only talk from my own experience, knowing the history of the club and what it means, then of course it was of great advantage to me.

“But it is no good if I can’t deal with it.”

Caixinha is the fourth Premiership manager to lose his job this season after changes at Hearts, Ross County and Kilmarnock.

Lennon said: “I said at the start of the season that Scottish clubs in the main aren’t trigger-happy but all of a sudden in the space of four months we have seen four managers in the Premiership go already.

“That is a concern that that trend might be seeping into the game up here. No amount of money makes it any easier when you do get the sack, because it hurts.”

Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson also empathised after losing his job at Oldham after a similar period of time.

“I have been in that position myself and it’s horrible,” Robinson said. “What people forget is that managers have families and kids as well. They are human beings as well.

“So it’s disappointing to see anyone sacked, it really is,” Robinson added.

“It’s a harsh industry that we work in. We all know that before we take the job, to be honest, but I think you have got to enjoy it while it’s going well but also be aware that it can change very quickly.”