When you talk about Rangers and Pedro Caixinha, two things are clear; one, the start to his reign as boss Ibrox has been poor by any standard and two, any talk of him leaving the club at this stage is absurd.

Yes the result on Tuesday night was tough to take for Rangers fans and justifiable caused a lot of backlash and anger towards the squad and the manager himself. Some were even calling for his resignation, or at least speculating that his days at Ibrox were numbered.

However, that’s not a constructive way to look at the situation. Having just signed almost a full team of players of his choice and style, Rangers need to see this project through now for better or worse.

That’s not to say he hasn’t been getting plenty wrong, he has. The sign of a good manager is recognising his faults and working to address them. Whether Caixinha can do that over the coming months will define his time in Glasgow.

Here are FOUR things he’s getting wrong that we think he needs to address…

The formation is unbalanced

The formation and tactics on display against Progres Niederkorn were confusing to say the least. Ostensibly a 4-2-3-1 in the vein of many teams across the world these days, Niko Kranjcar was dropping far too deep to maintain an effective presence in midfield. Lee Wallace and James Tavernier were too disconnected from their defensive partners to maintain cohesion.

It all resulted in a rather bizarre situation where the intended formation devolved into a midfield with far too many players in it, isolated from both their backline and the striker.

It was evident in both the lack of chances they created and their vulnerability at the back. Alfredo Morelos didn’t have an opportunity all evening and it didn’t improve in the second half when Eduardo Herrera arrived on the pitch. Kenny Miller tried his best as he always does but even he was limited to just a chance or two. A nervous defence was exposed on too many occasions and ultimately the team suffered.

Caixinha needs to bring more structure and a more defined formation to the team soon or chaos will reign at Ibrox well into the new season.

He isn’t handling the press correctly

In defence of Pedro Caixinha, the press in Scotland haven’t given him an easy ride. The lens placed on both the manager of Rangers and Celtic is always extreme and it’s a key factor why some men simply don’t have what it takes to be a success at either club.

Caixinha needs to act fast or he risks losing all credibility in a similar way to what happened to Ronny Deila. Outlandish statements and complicated explanations of tactics and players are all well and good, but when you aren’t getting the job done one the pitch it makes you look foolish.

Added to statements about the culture of Rangers and banning green boots, it all adds up to rather toxic media situation for the manager.

Perhaps he’s been too honest, too open and while that’s to his credit it simply doesn’t fly in Scottish football. He needs to be more restrained and guarded and bring a siege mentality to Ibrox.

If he does that and Rangers start winning, he’ll soon turn around perceptions.

He doesn’t know who his striker is

Between Kenny Miller, Martyn Waghorn, Alfredo Morelos and Eduardo Herrera, Rangers now have an abundance of players who can lead the line for the Light Blues. The only problem is, Pedro Caixinha doesn’t seem to trust any of them to play in the lone striker position.

All four featured in the position at various times across the two legs against Progres with none of them really shining. Kenny Miller gets pass marks but the other three looked a little lost and even Miller seemed to drift from one position to the next in a bizarre free role he is not equipped to perform in.

For us, it’s probably time to try and forge a path with two strikers in the Rangers team. As we’ve noted there’s a real lack of creativity in the Rangers midfielder despite the numbers being there, so it only makes sense to change it up and try and create a partnership.

It’s not as fashionable in football as it once was, and in many cases for good reason, but a 4-4-2 of some sort would likely go down a treat with fans and that’s who Caixinha has to prove himself to right now.

A partnership of Morelos and Herrera sounds workable in theory with the former a pacy player who likes the ball to feet and Herrera seemingly capable of bring a physical presence up front.

Is that the way forward?

Lots of individuals, not a team

At the heart of the issue for Rangers is they simply don’t look like a team right now, and frankly haven’t since he arrived even in the tail-end of last season.

For all the signings Pedro Caixinha has made, none of them look comfortable playing as part of a unit. The faults of Mark Warburton’s team were numerous but they looked like they played for each other at least, much of the time. Even Graeme Murty’s dogged outfit looked to have far more team spirit than what’s on offer right now.

Caixinha now has a month to bang his team into shape and have them work on finding the right team blend of personality, skill and desire.

The individual signings have all appeared to be positive on paper; Bruno Alves, Carlos Pena, Graham Dorrans. But can the manager make them all fit together?

While the rest of the Premier League continues to spend exorbitant amounts of money on players from across the globe, Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t done a thing.

The Tottenham boss is the only manager not to have added to his squad this transfer window, and the vast difference in the Argentine’s transfer policy from his rivals is incredibly refreshing.

The European giants’ spending has gotten pretty ridiculous over the past few seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Manchester City has spent more on their defence this summer than 47 countries do, Real Madrid are rumoured to be willing to pay up €180million for 18-year old Kylian Mbappé and PSG could pay €222million to sign Neymar from Barcelona. Imagine those figures being discussed even five years ago.

Tottenham’s high league finishes and place in the Champions League  have certainly increased the club’s transfer budget, but they are holding steadfast in not signing players they don’t completely believe in. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy recently said that if they don’t find a player they like, Pochettino would rather give one of their young players a chance — a sharp contrast from the rest of the league’s elite.

Clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea, owners of England’s most talented academies, have spent so much money on their first team that it is now virtually impossible for their young players to join the first team. Tottenham, however, has a clear path for their academy stars to join the senior players.

Spurs’ best player, Harry Kane, came out of the academy and Pochettino’s youth policy has allowed Dele Alli to flourish, which provides a great opportunity for Harry Winks, Josh Onomah and Cameron Carter-Vickers to become first team stars in the near future.

Tottenham are helping build a culture and an identity by using players who have been a part of the club’s setup for years. Every fan likes a big-name signing but often those players don’t affiliate themselves with the club like an academy graduate would. John Terry and Steven Gerrard were club and country icons and lived and breathed Chelsea and Liverpool. It is difficult in today’s Premier League to see a chance for another Terry or Gerrard to breakthrough at a young age.

Why give a young player a chance when you can buy an older, proven player?

It is a difficult point to argue against, especially as the league continues to get more and more competitive and managerial leashes get shorter. But that’s what makes Tottenham a rare breed in today’s Premier League.

Mauricio Pochettino’s attitude towards the transfer market is a refreshing one that is going to save his club from pointless spending and likely help produce England’s next wave of international stars.

Leeds’ quest to return to the Premier League in time for 2018/19 will suffer an almighty setback if the Yorkshire outfit lose the Championship’s top goalscorer from last season – Chris Wood – before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Whites have managed to hold onto the New Zealand international thus far but less than a fortnight ago he was linked with three Premier League clubs in the form of Swansea, Southampton and Stoke City, whilst recent reports have put newly-promoted Brighton in the frame as well.

That’s perhaps why another deadly display leading the Leeds’ line against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday will have come as bitter-sweet for the Elland Road faithful.

In a performance that is bound to have been noticed by his Premier League admirers, Wood netted the second and set up the third to help grab three points versus the Trotters in a 3-2 win – something made all the more impressive by the fact he had just 36 touches of the ball and even chipped in defensively with four clearances.

“Yes of course. He’s our player. There’s only one thing that I know 100 per cent and that is that we will all pass away. “But in football nothing is guaranteed.

“In Neymar, you believe you have a player for many years, you renew (his contract), he takes a lot of money in the negotiation and after a short time you break it, because you can break it. “Who would have said that someone would pay so much money?

“So in the case of Chris Wood, he will stay and I want him to stay, but you never know.”

Manager Thomas Christiansen recently admitted that although he expects the 6 foot 3 striker to stay at Elland Road, a huge bid could quickly change the situation.

With the transfer window only further hotting up, many Premier League clubs still in need of added firepower – especially Stoke after losing Marko Arnautovic to West Ham – and Wood starting this season how he finished the last one, his impressive display on Sunday may well convince a suitor to put some money on the table in the coming days.

According to reports in The Telegraph, West Bromwich Albion have turned down an £18m offer from Manchester City for defender Jonny Evans.

The Telegraph says that Citizens manager Pep Guardiola has identified the Northern Ireland international as a shock summer target as he looks to strengthen his central defensive options, having already boosted in the full-back positions by bringing in Benjamin Mendy, Danilo and Kyle Walker.

The Telegraph says that City are expected to return with an improved offer for the 29-year-old, although the Baggies are keen to tie Evans down to a new £85,000-a-week contract with his current deal running out in less than two years.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has endured a somewhat frustrating summer in the transfer market, and he is still looking for four new players before the window slams shut at the end of this month after signing Stoke City forward Joselu on Wednesday.

Here are three reasons Newcastle should hijack Man City’s bid to sign Evans…

Ability

While some may have raised their eyebrows that Manchester City are interested in Evans, West Bromwich Albion supporters in particular certainly won’t be too surprised.

The 29-year-old has been an impressive and consistent performer for the Baggies since moving to the Hawthorns from Manchester United in 2015, and it showed in his stats last season.

The Northern Ireland international showed his defensive capabilities by making 157 clearances and 82 interceptions in 31 Premier League appearances, while he also won 40 headed duels.

It is perhaps his ability on the ball that is most impressive though, and he had a passing accuracy of 81% last term, and showed his ability to bring the ball out from the back by successfully completing 23 of the 26 take-ons he attempted in the top flight.

Experience/Leadership

Newcastle United centre-backs Jamaal Lascelles, Florian Lejuene, Chancel Mbemba and Ciaran Clark don’t exactly have an abundance of Premier League experience, and it is an area that Rafa Benitez would probably like to add to before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.

Having made more than 200 Premier League appearances for Manchester United, Sunderland and West Brom, Evans certainly has that know-how and experience that is required at this level and he would be able to give the younger members of the defence like Lascelles and Mbemba a helping hand.

In addition, the 29-year-old is a leader and he has shown that by captaining the Baggies and that influence and vocal impact in the backline could prove to be key for the Magpies as they look to avoid being involved in a relegation battle.

First-team football

While Evans may be keen on a move to Manchester City for the chance to play in the Champions League and win trophies, one of the reasons he would have left Manchester United for West Brom in the first place would have been the opportunity to play more regular football.

Of course, the 29-year-old could choose to stay at the Hawthorns if he wasn’t convinced that he would break past the likes of Vincent Kompany, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi at the Etihad, but if he does want out then he would undoubtedly be one of the first names on the team-sheet if he did sign for Newcastle.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

According to the son of West Ham United owner David Sullivan on Twitter, the club are ready to commence legal proceedings against Sporting Lisbon communications director Nuno Saraiva after he claimed the east London outfit never submitted a deadline day bid for midfielder William Carvalho.

Sullivan had released a statement on the official West Ham website on Friday stating that they didn’t have enough time to complete a deal for the Portugal international before the window slammed shut, but according to Sky Sports Saraiva denied that they had ever received an offer for the 25-year-old, insinuating that the Hammers’ joint-chairman was lying.

The latest in the long-running Carvalho saga comes with the team struggling on the pitch after losing their opening three Premier League matches of the season, leaving manager Slaven Bilic under pressure.

West Ham supporters were quick to have their say on the update via social media, and they were far from impressed with some claiming that the club is an “embarrassment”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

There was a time when Marouane Fellaini was a joke figure at Manchester United, with many of the club’s supporters calling for the Belgian international to be sold.

That is no longer the case, however, with the powerful midfielder developing into a very important player in Jose Mourinho’s squad.

Fellaini has not started a Premier League game this season, but he has been involved off the bench, and scored in the 2-0 win over Leicester City before the international break.

The midfielder was ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Stoke City, however, after picking up an injury while representing Belgium during the recent international break.

The 29-year-old was surely the perfect player to help Man United overcome Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, and in his absence, the Red Devils could only manage a 2-2 draw.

It would be fair to say that Fellaini has now won over the Man United supporters, and many were calling for his presence during the clash at Stoke.

A selection of the best reaction on Twitter can be found below:

Joe Hart’s performance against Slovenia last night epitomised the concerns regarding his status as England’s No.1 goalkeeper.

Although the West Ham loanee hardly embarrassed himself, a smart double-save late on was juxtaposed by a rash challenge in the early stages that should have seen a penalty awarded to Wembley’s visitors.

And while Hart has struggled to rediscover the form that once had him rated as amongst the best goalkeepers in the world, a number of viable alternatives have emerged in recent years.

Take Southampton’s Fraser Forster – a 6 foot 7 juggernaut who regularly impressed in the Champions League during his Celtic days – Stoke City’s Jack Butland, Everton’s Jordan Pickford or Burnley shot-stopper Tom Heaton.

All have made strong cases to oust Hart over the last few seasons. So, Aston Villa fans, who do you think should be England’s No.1 goalkeeper at the World Cup next summer? Let us know by voting below…

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez and Chile won’t be at next summer’s World Cup in Russia following their 3-0 defeat to Brazil on Tuesday night, but Gunners fans weren’t exactly sympathetic.

The South American nation were third in the standings going into the final fixtures and knew that a win against Brazil would guarantee their spot in the tournament, while a draw would be enough to at least see them contest a play-off fixture.

However, a goal from Paulinho and a brace from Gabriel Jesus saw the 2014 hosts run out comfortable winners, and positive results for Argentina, Colombia and Peru elsewhere meant that Chile finished sixth and were eliminated.

Sanchez came close to joining Manchester City towards the end of the summer transfer window and he hasn’t pleased the Emirates Stadium faithful with his performances this term as he enters into the final year of his contract, with a departure next summer looking likely.

Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on the news via social media, and while some called it “karma”, others said they had “no sympathy at all” for the 28-year-old.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

As reported by The Sun, Arsenal are interested in signing Everton youngster Ademola Lookman this January.

What’s the story?

The Gunners are always on the hunt for young English talent they feel can be mainstays in Arsene Wenger’s starting eleven and they’ve cast their eye on an impressive 19-year-old who definitely fits the bill.

The Sun reckon that Arsenal are keen on bringing Ademola Lookman back to London after he signed for Everton from Charlton less than a year ago.

The paper say the Toffees aren’t eager to sell but that a bid of £15m could tempt them into letting him leave the club.

Lots to prove

Lookman may have plenty of potential but he has a lot of learning to do and a lot to prove to be considered a reliable English Premier League talent.

He’s not played a single minute of top-flight football so far this term for the Toffees, which doesn’t exactly bode well for his chances of potentially getting into an Arsenal side.

However, the winger showed flashes of brilliance last term, making eight appearances in the Premier League, even scoring on his debut against Manchester City.

Arsene Wenger excels at working with youth and the Emirates is a great environment for him to improve his game, so the pieces are there for him to make an impact.

Can those pieces come together and provide the Gunners with the excellent English performer they’re looking for?

Tottenham Hotspur fell further adrift of Manchester United and Manchester City on Saturday after losing to the former at Old Trafford.

In what will be one of their hardest matches of the season, they could find no way past a defensively minded Jose Mourinho side, who picked up all three points thanks to an Anthony Martial goal just nine minutes from time.

Spurs weren’t at their best without the injured Harry Kane and created little across the 90 minutes to really trouble David De Gea. The best chance fell to Dele Alli, who could not get his effort from a Christian Eriksen cross on target.

Alli is having an inconsistent season so far, looking at his stellar best periodically but not finding the consistency that made him such a Premier League force last season.

Tottenham fans, disappointed he couldn’t take his chance on Saturday, are expecting more from him and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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