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When Rangers think back to the days under Pedro Caixinha, there are very few positive memories compared to their current spell under Steven Gerrard, although things weren’t quite as different as they may think. The Portuguese gaffer was up against it from the start, as opposed to Gerrard who came in as an Ibrox darling, and it makes a good read.

At the moment, Steven Gerrard finds himself in pursuit of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premier League, but much as has been the case over the last few years for the Gers, he’s set to end the season trophyless. Pedro Caixinha suffered similar struggles, but his early blip in Europe ultimately meant his time at the club was over before it even began, even if the pair have similar records in Ibrox.

PEDRO CAIXINHA

Many a manager has fallen under the weight of expectation when taking on a top job, and in reality, it seems that Pedro Caixinha simply didn’t understand the size of the job he was undertaking when he rocked up at Ibrox. The Portuguese gaffer was doomed from pretty much day one, though, as his lacklustre Rangers fell at the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

If there was ever going to be any way back from that embarrassing loss over two legs against Progres Niederkorn then Caixinha would have found it, but in truth, his sacking was always a matter of when and not if after that. Regardless, the now-Cruz Azul gaffer went onto win 14 of his 26 games and boasts a win percentage that actually eclipses that of Steven Gerrard, even though he’s looked at as a resounding flop.

TT GRADE: B

STEVEN GERRARD

Whilst Stevie G has done a good job in winning over the fans, his time at Ibrox could end in the same way as Caixinha’s did if he’s not careful. The fans may be behind the ex-Liverpool and England skipper, but as trophies remain elusive at Ibrox, one decent run in the Europa League won’t save the young manager for too much longer, especially seeing as he only managed to make the group stages.

If anything, that early summer run where Gerrard navigated the qualifiers was only made to look so impressive because of Caixinha’s failures 12 months before, and when it came to the Scottish Premier League the frailties started to show. There is no doubting that Gerrard deserves more time, as did Caixinha, but the Portuguese manager’s time in Glasgow should be a stark warning to the current gaffer as the slightest slip up could see his spell at the club end in the same way as his predecessor.

TT GRADE: B

TT VERDICT

Pedro Caixinha will always be looked at with real scorn by the Gers for his calamity spell in charge, but look at the numbers and his 53.85% win ratio is marginally better than Stevie G’s 52.27%. The stats aren’t everything in football, though, but whilst Gerrard continues to come up short against Scotland’s finest then it really is hard to justify giving him the edge over Caixinha, so this one has to end a draw.

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Newcastle United face a battle for their Premier League survival.

The Magpies are currently 16th, one point clear of 18th-placed Southampton and level with Cardiff City, but ahead on goal difference, with just 12 games of the season to go.

Newcastle’s run-in: Huddersfield Town (H), Burnley (H), West Ham (A), Everton (H), Bournemouth (A), Arsenal (A), Crystal Palace (H), Leicester City (A), Southampton (H), Brighton & Hove Albion (A), Liverpool (H), Fulham (A).

Newcastle are fortunate that they only play two top-six teams between now and the end of the season.

Games against Arsenal and Liverpool are not likely to glean any points for the Magpies, meaning Rafael Benitez’s side are better off focusing on taking points from the teams around them.

The visit of Huddersfield Town next weekend could well set the tone. The Terriers are rock-bottom and 14 points off Cardiff. In short, they need a miracle. Newcastle should take all three points. Even in their current predicament, it would be a shock if they didn’t.

The visit of Burnley, in 15th, is likely to be a cagey affair and could well be a draw, while West Ham will expect to win at the London Stadium when Newcastle visit.

There is scope for United taking a point off Everton, but trips to Bournemouth and the Gunners are unlikely to see any return.

Crystal Palace, though, could well be a scalp taken, and three points against Roy Hodgson’s men would be a major boost, with tough clashes against Leicester, Southampton, Brighton and the Reds thereafter.

A return of one point from a possible 12 there seems the likeliest outcome – a draw with the Saints, also scrapping, would not do either side a favour but is the most foreseeable result.

A trip to London to face Fulham on the final day could well be full of drama but the Cottagers are already eight points adrift and may well be relegated beforehand. Three points for the Magpies would seem a banker if Claudio Ranieri’s men are already contemplating life in the Championship.

Predicted points: 12 – Newcastle finish on 37 points

Much like Southampton – who Football FanCast predict to end the season with 36 points – Newcastle are set to fall short of the 40-point mark which is routinely said to guarantee survival.

However, there really appears to be only one spot to fill in the bottom three.

Huddersfield and Fulham are surely doomed, barring a miracle or a bizarre twist of fate, leaving the likes of Southampton, Newcastle and Cardiff, as well as perhaps Burnley, Brighton and Crystal Palace, all battling to avoid finishing 18th.

If FFC’s predictions are correct, Newcastle will finish above Southampton, and that may well be enough.

The two sides play each other on April 20th and that game could well determine which of the two drops through the trapdoor into the Championship, provided Cardiff do not implode and take the spot for themselves.

Everton will be hoping for a strong end to the season after picking up an impressive win in midweek.

Their campaign on the whole has come under some scrutiny thanks to some below par performances and some big money spent in the last few windows, but Marco Silva does have the ability to get the best from his squad and finish with a flurry.

The Toffees, who have plenty of talent already, will no doubt be keen on moving once more during the summer to ensure they bring in even more players of quality, and one man we here in the Tavern feel would be a superb signing is Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik.

The 15-goal striker has once again been showing his worth this term with some impressive displays in Italy, and with the failures of the likes of Cenk Tosun at Goodison Park, Milik could well prove to be the answer.

The Polish striker has all the tools needed to be a success in the Premier League and he’d be ideal at Everton as a focal point ahead of their talented attacking midfield players.

It’s the missing piece to the Everton jigsaw really, finding a man who can hit the back of the net regularly, but Milik is equipped to be that player.

If Everton can get in their early and stump up the cash to capture Milik, then there is no reason why the Premier League can’t be graced with what will be yet another superb striking talent.

Toffees fans, what do you think? Would Milik be a good signing? Let us know in the comments!

Southampton have had a relatively successful season so far but one man who didn’t live up to The Guardian journalist Ben Fisher’s prediction is Che Adams.

What did he say?

After scoring 22 goals in 46 Championship games for Birmingham last season many would have been forgiven for expecting Adams to shine in Saints colours.

Fisher was one of those, and he wrote at the beginning of the current season that he expected the 23-year-old to make an immediate impact on the south coast, but in reality the opposite has occurred.

Adams has played in 27 games without scoring for the club, and he can’t exactly blame teammates or a lack of service since Danny Ings has netted 15 times in 29 league games.

In his prediction previewing Southampton’s season, Fisher described Adams as a “powerful striker”, and made a comparison between the forward and current England international Callum Wilson, writing in The Guardian:

“The arrival of Adams from Birmingham City represents a major boost. Named after Che Guevara and released by Coventry at 14, the former Birmingham forward has the tools to transfer his goalscoring form into the Premier League, in the same way Callum Wilson prospered along the south coast at Bournemouth.”

That has proved far from the case and Southampton even contemplating loaning the striker out in January, with Leeds interested, though that is not to say that he can’t show his quality in the future.

Reasons to be positive

Given the way in which the Saints’ season has panned out there are not many who could have predicted how things have gone.

A 9-0 defeat would ordinarily hint at a team struggling for much of the campaign, and although the south-coast outfit were sitting in the relegation zone in mid-December a run of fine form means they haven’t had to consider the threat of relegation for some time.

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They are now seven points clear despite the lack of form of Adams, though the former Birmingham man did play a significant role in the memorable wins at Chelsea and Leicester, grabbing an assist against the latter.

Now the team has a few weeks off Ralph Hasenhuttl should do whatever he can to work out how to get the best out of Adams, and if Southampton do secure safety with games remaining then he should be given a chance to start in order to get off the mark.

Idiots Abroad: Do you know where these famous Brits are playing now?

That could prove vital to his confidence ahead of next season, and if he manages to return to form then Hasenhuttl could have a lethal partnership with Ings alongside him up-front.

In other news, Southampton should look to boost the squad by looking at players at a certain club they’ve had success buying from before…

Nikola Katic was on the scoresheet as Rangers recorded a 2-0 win over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.

However, it would be fair to say that there was a mixed reaction to his performance throughout the 90 minutes of action.

The 23-year-old was praised by many for his overall display, with a selection of the positive comments on social media available to view below.

However, as mentioned, that was not a view shared by everyone as some are still slightly concerned by the Croatia international’s perceived heavy-handed approach.

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Three Rangers players picked up yellow cards against Motherwell, whilst Alfredo Morelos was sent off in the 70th minute. Katic did not actually receive a booking, but a number of the supporters are still not convinced when it comes to the powerful centre-back.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

That said, there were more positives messages in the immediate aftermath of Katic’s goal, which sent Steven Gerrard’s side on their way to an important three points.

Meanwhile, one Rangers player is reportedly no longer a January transfer target for a Premier League club despite a host of speculation.

According to Sky Sports, Middlesbrough have the most clean sheets of any EFL club so far this season. 

This is obviously a very encouraging stat for Boro, but this only tells half the story with regards to the club’s success. As good as they are in defence, the club equally need an attack to complement them at the other end of the pitch.

This has been the main problem for Boro so far this season, they have just been short on goals on a few occasions. Nonetheless, they are still in a brilliant position in the Championship, sitting in second place, only two points behind leaders Norwich.

However, the upturn in striker Jordan Hugill’s form is an indication that Boro are fast becoming a lethal team at both ends of the pitch. The striker, on loan from West Ham, has now scored three goals in his last two appearances for Tony Pulis’ men. The 26-year-old had a poor start to the season, with many fans despairing over his form. However, the dip by fellow striker Britt Assombalonga forced the Welsh manager to turn to Hugill, and it is starting to pay off.

Given the fact that the manager has already emphasised the need to reinforce the team up front in January, Hugill is starting to solve some of the club’s problems that have arisen in the opening months of the season. With this new potency in attack, combined with their notoriously resolute defence, Middlesbrough have the recipe to be unstoppable this season.

It was an extremely frustrating summer for Newcastle United fans, as the club once again managed to turn a profit as a result of their transfer business. Considering that the likes of Fulham, Wolves, Bournemouth, Huddersfield Town and Brighton all spent in excess of £30 million, it is hard to argue that the Magpies are matching their rivals’ ambition.

However, that isn’t to say that Mike Ashley ought to spend for the sake of it. Even in this vastly inflated market, there are still bargains to be had at the top level. One such deal that took place this summer was West Ham’s acquisition of Lucas Perez from Arsenal for a fee in the region of £4 million. 

What’s the word?

The Hammers signed the Gunners’ forward for a meagre fee in comparison with what some players of a lesser calibre have gone for in recent times. Whilst Perez was never able to establish himself at Arsenal, he remains a quality player who could have a big impact a little further down the Premier League table.

The Spanish striker wasn’t able to consistently display his best form during a loan stint with Deportivo La Coruna last season, but he still finished second only to Lionel Messi in terms of chances created over the course of the La Liga campaign.

This time around, West Ham can hope for big things from the 29-year-old. Should he prove his quality at the London Stadium, Newcastle may regret missing out on this bargain buy.

A chance missed

It was clear that Rafa Benitez was desperate to boost his attack this summer. Eventually, Salomon Rondon did materialise at St James’ Park following a loan-swap deal that saw Dwight Gayle join West Brom.

The North East club may need more than the Venezuelan to ensure their top flight survival though. The 28-year-old’s seven league goals last time out weren’t enough to guide the Baggies clear of the drop after all. 

Not only would the arrival of Perez have given Benitez greater strength in depth up front, the former Gunner would also suit the style of play being implemented on Tyneside. Perez has great technique and creative qualities, but he is also a very physical presence and is capable of holding up the ball in the opposition final third before bringing teammates into the game. 

For the relatively tiny outlay of £4 million, Newcastle could’ve made a great addition this summer in the form of Perez. As it was, West Ham capitalised upon this bargain opportunity that Ashely failed to spot. That could come back to haunt the Magpies.

According to reports in The Independent, Everton have had an approach for Watford boss Marco Silva rejected as they continue their search for Ronald Koeman’s successor, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

The Independent says that while Silva is keen to speak to the Merseyside outfit about the vacant role, the Hornets don’t want to lose the Portuguese chief during the season and they consider the matter to be closed as the 40-year-old doesn’t have a release clause in his contract.

The Hertfordshire-based outfit have made an impressive start to the campaign and lie in ninth position in the Premier League standings despite losing their last three top flight matches, including a 3-2 defeat to the Toffees before the international break when they surrendered a two-goal lead.

Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one simply said it was a “lucky escape”, another said he was “underwhelmed” by news of the approach for Silva.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Newcastle United and Southampton have joined Tottenham Hotspur as interested parties in Malaga forward Sandro Ramirez.

What’s the word?

Well, the report claims that while Spurs have reportedly tracked the former Barcelona youngster over the last few years, both the Saints and the Magpies are casting keen eyes over his situation.

The 21-year-old, who is valued at £6.8m by transfermart.com, is enjoying a wonderful season with La Rosaleda, notching 15 league goals on the Costa del Sol after leaving the Camp Nou in the summer.

It’s thought the Spaniard is almost certain to leave the Andalusian outfit this summer and his agent’s phone has reportedly not stopped ringing as a result of his prolific form.

He’s believed to have a €6m release clause in his deal, a fee which roughly equates to £5m.

What could he bring?

Having graduated from the famed La Masia academy, Sandro boasts the sort of technical ability you’d expect from one of their graduates. While he struggled to truly impose himself on the Blaugrana’s first-team last year during Lionel Messi’s injury, his season in Malaga has shown what a lethal finisher and clever marksman he is.

For Tottenham, he’d be a wonderful supplement for Harry Kane. He’s been touted as a target on Hotspur Way for months, though is probably too good to operate as a second choice.

With Newcastle promoted to the Premier League, the Magpies would be a wonderful platform for Sandro Ramirez. The Magpies adore a prolific centre-forward and Sandro is certainly a palpable goal threat.

It’s been a turbulent few months for the England national team – in fact, probably the most turbulent in its history.

Indeed, the Three Lions suffered a humiliating elimination from Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland during the summer and were still licking their wounds when news of Sam Allardyce’s dodgy conversations with undercover journalists from The Telegraph hit the tabloids.

After Big Sam parted with the England job, his reign lasting for just 68 days, the FA quickly put U21s manager Gareth Southgate in temporary charge for coming World Cup Qualifiers against Malta, Slovenia and Scotland.

But not exactly inspired by the idea of the former Boro boss managing the national team long-term, we asked fans earlier this week to vote for their preferred pick of next permanent England manager.

The results are now in and we can exclusively reveal that Southgate ranked in a lowly seventh place. To see which managers made the top four, however, you’ll have to read through…

4. JURGEN KLINSMANN

Famed for kick-starting the German revolution that lead to Die Mannschaft’s triumphs at the 2014 World Cup and overseeing the immense soccer boom in the United States, it’s no surprise to see experienced international manager Jurgen Klinsmann claim a place in our top four.

He’s certainly got the credentials, also including knowledge of the Premier League, but if there’s one thing counting against the former Tottenham striker it’s his nationality. A German in charge of the Three Lions just doesn’t feel right.

3. Arsene Wenger

He’s been touted as the perfect candidate by a number of sources but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could only claim third place in our poll.

Although the Frenchman knows English football like the back of his hand, boasts a strong record in terms of developing young players and insists upon an entertaining style of play, voters may have been put off by the Gunners’ recent lack of trophies, winning just two FA Cups over the last decade.

2. GLENN HODDLE

Glenn Hoddle’s first England spell may have been short and sweet but he’s still regarded as one of the greatest thinkers to take the Three Lions hot seat.

And it appears a fair chunk of fans wouldn’t mind Hoddle having another crack at the job he parted with in 1999 for off-field reasons – despite the fact he’s not worked as a manager since leaving Wolves ten years ago.

1. EDDIE HOWE

Rather than a member of the established order, most England fans want some fresh blood to take the mantle in the form of Eddie Howe.

He’s young, energetic, enthusiastic and has achieved miracles at Bournemouth, propelling them from the depths of the Football League to the top flight amid two spells at Dean Court.

Charisma in front of the camera and an attacking philosophy only add to the 38-year-old’s appeal, although some would warn that he lacks the experience with big personalities to undertake the England job at this point of his career.

Click through to the next page to see the results of our poll in full!

Results