Former Rangers full-back Alan Hutton believes Josh Doig would be an ideal solution to the Ibrox club’s impending decisions at left-back.

Borna Barisic is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with a return to Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb.

Ridvan Yilmaz has struggled for game time since arriving in the summer of 2022 but has impressed in recent weeks amid the absence of the injured Barisic.

However, the Turkey international has been linked with a switch to Hellas Verona, where Doig has plied his trade since moving from Hibernian to Italy.

Doig is also the subject of reported interest from Torino and Udinese and Hutton believes the 21-year-old would be a good fit at Ibrox.

“I thought that he was a player that both teams in Glasgow would have looked at before he left,” the former Scotland international said.

“He had all the attributes to be a modern-day full-back – physically strong, can get up and down the pitch, an attacking full-back and that’s how Rangers like to play.

“He would come back a better player having played in Italy and you’d think defensively, he would be learning week in, week out. I think he would do a really good job.

“It looks like Barisic will be out of contract at the end of the season. Yilmaz was looking like the guy who was going to take over from him but he has been a little bit in and out. But he has had some really good performances the last few games.

“It was interesting to watch him against Kilmarnock. He played a little more inside the pitch. He has come on to a game and if he was to go, they have to bring someone in.”

Hutton believes up front is the key transfer priority for Philippe Clement with Cyriel Dessers struggling to win over the Rangers fans and Danilo and Kemar Roofe missing much of the campaign so far through injury.

Sam Lammers is another attacking summer signing who has struggled to make an impact and he has been linked with a move to Utrecht.

Hutton, who was promoting the upcoming Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth-round fixtures, which see Rangers travel to Dumbarton, has been encouraged by manager Clement’s impact, having only lost to Celtic since replacing Michael Beale.

“You can’t not be impressed,” he said. “Winning the League Cup and getting into the last 16 of the Europa League by winning that group was massive for them.

“But just in general, their play has changed under the new manager. The only blip was against Celtic.

“Rangers are closing the gap in my opinion. It’s not as big as it was in previous seasons. It’s close now, it’s small margins between them – as we saw in the Old Firm game.

“The small margins are in the forward line, that’s the difference between the two teams. You see the likes of Kyogo (Furuhashi). He is a big-time player, he gets those opportunities and puts them in the back of the bet more often than not.

“If Rangers can get someone in who can do that, as well as what they have, I think they will be in a good place.”

:: Hutton was speaking at a press event organised by Scottish Gas, proud partners of the men’s and women’s Scottish Cups.

Carlo Ancelotti has admitted “it hurt” when Real Madrid slipped to their only defeat of the season so far against Atletico Madrid in September.

On Wednesday, the city rivals will meet in the Supercopa de Espana in Saudi Arabia, their first encounter since Diego Simeone’s side ran out 3-1 winners at the Wanda Metropolitano with two goals from Alvaro Morata and one from Antoine Griezmann.

That loss saw Real slip to third in the table but they have since recovered to lead the way in La Liga at the halfway stage, level on points with the season’s surprise package Girona.

Atletico, meanwhile, are clinging on in the title race after slumping to fifth off the back of a run of two wins in six in the league.

Ancelotti was confident his side had corrected the errors that led them to derby defeat four months ago, and reflected on a rivalry with opposite number Simeone increasingly rooted in mutual admiration.

“The last time we played Atletico it hurt us,” he said. “I think we’ve fixed that. But (on Wednesday) we will need to show a better version of ourselves than in the first game of the season against Atletico.

“It’s a relationship of respect (with Simeone). We talk a lot. We’ve faced each other many times, he scored against my team once for Lazio against Juventus in Turin. We respect one another. I think we’re neighbours and we see each other sometimes.

“I’m very happy in the atmosphere at the club now. From outside, it seems that Simeone is very happy at Atletico. He seems the ideal profile, otherwise you wouldn’t stay there so long.”

Ancelotti has Vinicius Junior, Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Carvajal all available after injury but will be without Lucas Vazquez, who has a thigh problem, as well as long-term absentees Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Eder Militao.

Ferland Mendy is also an injury doubt, though Arda Guler could feature after making his debut in the Copa del Rey win over Arandina on Saturday.

Atletico boss Simeone has included Pablo Barrios in his travelling squad as he nears a return to fitness, whilst Mario Hermoso, Samuel Lino, Koke, Marcus Llorente and Rodrigo de Paul are all expected to return to the starting line-up after sitting out the cup win over Lugo.

Former Wycombe and Millwall defender Danny Senda has been banned from football for four years after touching two women inappropriately and subsequently admitting to two charges of misconduct.

The Football Association has said it is “deeply sorry” to the two women, who had been on a coaching course overseas with the 42-year-old last June.

Senda had been in a bar when the two women came in afterwards with a small group of other people. The first complainant said Senda pulled her towards him, placed his left arm over her right shoulder and put his other hand down the front of her shorts.

The first complainant removed his arms from her. As she went to leave the bar, she saw Senda place his hands on the second woman.

The second woman said she felt someone’s hands come from behind her, rest upon her chest and place one hand on each of her breasts. She turned around to see it was Senda. She then walked away and left the bar with the first woman.

The women reported the incidents to course leaders, and Senda was immediately asked to leave the course. He requested the opportunity to apologise, and the women agreed to meet him before he flew back to the UK. The women then made a formal complaint to the FA.

They opted not to make a criminal complaint, and with the incident occurring overseas the UK authorities had no jurisdiction to act.

The independent commission which issued the four-year ban to Senda said these were breaches of “the utmost seriousness” and that they “amounted to the commission of criminal offences that could never be condoned or tolerated in any environment”.

An FA spokesperson said: “Women deserve to be involved in professional football without the fear of any form of abuse.

“This was a shocking case, and we investigated the very serious allegations as soon as we were made aware of them.

“We thank the victims for reporting the incidents to us, and supporting the investigation through to its conclusion, and we are deeply sorry that they endured such a terrible experience.

“The behaviour shown by Daniel Senda in June 2023 will not be tolerated. We will investigate all allegations of sexual assault in a football environment which are reported to us – usually working with the police, but in this case, the incidents happened overseas so were not within the jurisdiction of UK law-enforcement.

“We hope that the very lengthy ban serves as a strong deterrent, and a clear signal that women in football will be supported and protected and offenders will be severely punished.”

The panel’s written reasons state that Senda had no recollection of committing the offences when he was interviewed by the FA in July, which he ascribed to his consumption of alcohol, but did not deny them.

The panel said it initially felt a six-year ban was appropriate but this was reduced to four years to reflect Senda’s early admission of the charges he faced.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s controversial red card in Everton’s FA Cup third-round clash at Crystal Palace last week has been rescinded, the Football Association has announced.

The striker was facing a three-game ban after being dismissed following a challenge on Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne during the goalless draw at Selhurst Park last Thursday.

Referee Chris Kavanagh initially took no action after contact with Clyne appeared minimal but later sent the 26-year-old off following a VAR review.

Everton announced their intention to appeal against the decision the following day and that challenge has proved successful.

A statement from the FA read: “Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be available for Everton’s next three games following a successful claim of wrongful dismissal.

“The striker was sent off for serious foul play in the Emirates FA Cup game against Crystal Palace on Thursday, January 4 2024.”

The red card would have been the first of Calvert-Lewin’s career had it stood.

Everton manager Sean Dyche said after the incident that he remained “a fan” of VAR but it was “beginning to test my patience”.

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders insists no-one is irreplaceable after influential full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was ruled out for at least three weeks with a knee injury.

The England international tore a lateral ligament after hyper-extending the joint in Sunday’s FA Cup win at Arsenal and is not expected to feature until the end of the month at the earliest.

Liverpool’s winter break means he may only miss three matches – both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham and the Premier League match at Bournemouth – and he could be back for the January 31 visit of Chelsea.

With the team already without central defender Joel Matip and both left-backs Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas and Joe Gomez deputising on that flank, it leaves them short at the back.

But it is Alexander-Arnold’s pivotal contribution to the way the team operates, stepping into midfield in his now well-established hybrid role, with two goals and eight assists this season which makes his absence so difficult to cope with.

However, Lijnders insists they will find a way to handle the situation, as they have already had to do with Mohamed Salah having gone to the African Cup of Nations.

“We have many weapons so there is no-one irreplaceable here,” said the Reds’ assistant manager ahead of the first leg against Fulham.

“Mo goes away, (Diogo) Jota steps up. If the best players are not there and you play really well – the second half against Arsenal – then that’s a really good sign and that’s what we’ve always done.

“We don’t rely on one, two, three or four players. We are missing three core players from our leadership group – Robbo, Trent, Mo – so that’s a blow of course.

“We now we have to find solutions without Trent as well but, again, this squad has so much talent, so much power, and as long as counter-pressing is there everything else is replaceable.”

Alexander-Arnold’s absence means Liverpool are now without the four players who have created the most chances per 90 mins for them this season, the others being Robertson, Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai, whose hamstring injury means he is not available to face Fulham.

The options appear to be bringing in 20-year-old Conor Bradley, who impressed at right-back in a 15-minute cameo at the Emirates, 19-year-old Luke Chambers or Owen Beck, recently recalled from a loan spell at Dundee, on the left and moving Gomez back to the right.

But none of these options would come close to filling the void Alexander-Arnold’s absence leaves.

“He creates a lot of flexibility from the back and he can play passes that the forwards really like, he knows how to decide games and knows when to put balls where,” added Lijnders.

“The squad has a lot of other qualities in my opinion but for sure we need to find new dynamics.”

There will be no resorting to the transfer window to solve what are deemed short-term issues as the management have faith in their youngsters around the fringes of the squad.

“We spent a lot of money in the summer. We really invested in the squad, the ownership really brought in the right players,” said Lijnders.

“Conor and Bobby (Clark) are not back-up players, they are part of our squad. They are young, hungry and made for games like this.

“Young players just need the opportunity. They don’t need criticism, they just need trust from the coaching staff.”

Former Trinidad and Tobago representative Shaka Hislop lauded the move to keep Angus Eve at the helm of the senior men’s programme for an extended period, especially with the scheduling for what will be a busy 2024 campaign.

Eve's initial extension from September 2023 to March 2024, was merely to lead the Soca Warriors into Copa America playoff battle against Canada on March 23, but he was later awarded another contract, which will be for the duration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification campaign.

Hislop, the decision to keep Eve beyond the Copa America playoff was a common sense one.

Eve guided the Soca Warriors through a fairly successful 2023 campaign in which they secured League A promotion in the Concacaf Nations League. Beyond that, Eve also saw the team to a memorable 2-1 victory over United States in Nations League second-leg quarter-finals action, which followed their second-place finish in the group stage, where Trinidad and Tobago toppled Curacao, El Salvador and Guatemala.

“It sets the stage for what is needed for a campaign in terms of the qualification for World Cup 2026,” Hislop said during an interview on the i95.5 Sports programme.

“It makes a lot of sense, given how thick and fast the games are coming. I am not sure there is any sort of opportunity for any change over, if a changeover was deemed necessary. So purely from a continuity perspective, it makes a lot of sense,” he added.

Though admitting that he knew little about the country’s football association’s financial status, Hislop also believes Eve’s extension made sense from a financial perspective, even as he distanced himself from the political aspects of things.

“I don’t have many thoughts on T&T football and the reason being I don’t feel we can advance; I don’t feel with the NC, that is in charge of T&T football, there is any sense of accountability. No one can say if they are doing a good or bad job,” Hislop argued.

“They are in place, in power because of a FIFA mandate. That is the only body that they have to account to. So we have a football leadership that doesn’t have to account to the stakeholders of T&T football, to the fans of T&T football. So our failing or our success, relative as they may be, are irrelevant until they have somebody to account to,” he opined.

On that note, Hislop pointed out that the upcoming TTFA elections were necessary to restore order in how the country’s football is handled.

“It is a step in the right direction in terms of regaining that sort of normalcy and who we are—in charge of our own affairs...It is important that we at least get back to that starting point. Otherwise, I just felt that we weren’t going anywhere,” he said.

“(The new members of the executive) have to appease the fans, the greater good of T&T football. Now your primary responsibility cannot be to those men who hold the greatest power in world football and so, again, the longer lasting impact, the stagnation of our football...we can only guess at. My belief is everybody that comes in will have to recognise who their primary responsibility is (to). It is no one on these shores,” Hislop ended.

What the papers say

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, has found himself on the radar of Spanish giants Real Madrid, the Daily Mail reports. The England Under-21 international has played 17 games for the Toffees in the Premier League this season.

The Evening Standard says West Ham could make a move for 26-year-old Ajax and  Netherlands forward Steven Bergwijn. The former Tottenham player has scored eight goals in all competitions this year for Ajax.

One player who could be making the opposite journey from England to the Netherlands is Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri, who has been linked with a loan move to PSV Eindhoven – and LA Galaxy – according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, cited by Teamtalk.

Social media round-up

Real Madrid ‘to turn to Erling Haaland if they fail in Mbappe transfer but will only have to pay HALF his release fee’https://t.co/1JoTm4tiE4https://t.co/1JoTm4tiE4

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) January 8, 2024

Players to watch

Hugo Ekitike: Wolves are reportedly interested in signing the 21-year-old Paris St Germain forward, according to French outlet L’Equipe.

Jonathan David: The 23-year-old Canada forward, currently at Lille in France, has attracted interest from Manchester United and Aston Villa, Football Transfers reports.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will be sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has confirmed.

Alexander-Arnold suffered the injury during Sunday’s 2-0 FA Cup victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Fulham at Anfield, Lijnders said: “First of all, some not-that-good news, Trent hyper-extended his knee during the last game.

“So he has a little tear in the lateral ligament of his knee and he will need time to recover. He had a scan and he will be out for a few weeks, so let’s see after that.

“He will get some rest and then hopefully he can come back to where he was. Because this guy was decisive in all the games and was the one who created constantly for us from deep and gave the team a high level of flexibility.

“We will really miss him.”

Lijnders also revealed that Virgil van Dijk is available again after missing the Arsenal game due to illness, but Dominik Szoboszlai remains sidelined.

Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt have completed the permanent signing of Leeds defender Robin Koch.

The 27-year-old has been on loan in Germany during the first half of the season and has made 23 appearances in all competitions.

He will now stay there after signing a permanent deal until 2027.

Koch made 77 appearances for Leeds after joining in 2020 but was allowed to leave after the club’s relegation to the Championship last term.

Erik ten Hag has not ruled out using the transfer market to strengthen his squad as injuries and illness continue to hit Manchester United hard.

The number of absentees reached double figures for Monday’s 2-0 FA Cup win away to League Two Wigan, with Christian Eriksen out due to illness and Antony injured.

Although Ten Hag is optimistic a number of players could return in time for Sunday’s Premier League match at home to Tottenham, a United bench made up almost entirely of youngsters at the DW Stadium pointed to the stretched resources.

“We consider everything,” Ten Hag said when asked about the January window. “So what is in the best interests of the players and also the best interests for us, the team, for Manchester United. So we’ll see how we progress during the window.”

Ten Hag admitted it has been frustrating to lose so many players in recent weeks, but the Dutchman did not want that to be an excuse for some poor results last month, when United lost six of their nine games.

“I don’t want to be frustrated because I can do nothing for it, it will not help to support the team,” he said. “So we have to get the best performance and best results with the players available and that’s what we’re trying to do…

“I think there will be some players that are hopeful they can be back for the weekend.”

Ten Hag said he expected Eriksen to return in time for the Spurs match, while Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire could also be available.

The victory at Wigan sets up a fourth round tie away to either League Two Newport or non-league Eastleigh, and a clear opportunity to progress further.

With United out of Europe and eighth in the Premier League, a competition in which United reached the final last season remains their only opportunity of silverware this term.

“I don’t think (the focus on the FA Cup) would change if you are still in Europe,” Ten Hag said. “It is a massive competition. Everyone wants to win this competition. So every game we take seriously.”

United beat Wigan with goals in either half from Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes, the second a penalty, but should have won more convincingly given they had 33 attempts on goal.

Fourteen of those were on target, but United were the latest side to find out why Wigan’s 21-year-old goalkeeper Sam Tickle is a man in-demand given his recent form.

Tickle has taken the starting role at Wigan ahead of former United stopper Ben Amos, and the England under-21 goalkeeper has recently been linked with Premier League clubs including Everton.

“He is a brilliant shot-stopper,” Wigan boss Shaun Maloney said of Tickle. “When I first came in, I realised we had something special…

“He was brilliant (against United) and it’s been like that all season. I understand the attention now. It is amazing for our club to have a goalkeeper in the England Under 21 team. Long may it continue. I think it will.”

What the papers say

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, has found himself under the scope of Spanish giants Real Madrid, the Daily Mail reports. The England Under-21 international has played 17 games for the Toffees in the Premier League this season.

The Evening Standard says West Ham could make a move for 26-year-old Ajax and  Netherlands forward Steven Bergwijn. The former Tottenham player has scored eight goals in all competitions this year for Ajax.

One player who could be making the opposite journey from England to the Netherlands is Manchester United winger Facundo Pellistri, who has been linked with a loan move to PSV Eindhoven – and LA Galaxy – according to journalist  Fabrizio Romano, cited by Teamtalk.

Social media round-up

Real Madrid ‘to turn to Erling Haaland if they fail in Mbappe transfer but will only have to pay HALF his release fee’https://t.co/1JoTm4tiE4https://t.co/1JoTm4tiE4

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) January 8, 2024

Players to watch

Hugo Ekitike: Wolves are reportedly interested in signing the 21-year-old Paris St Germain forward, according to French outlet L’Equipe.

Jonathan David: The 23-year-old Canada forward, currently at Lille in France, has attracted interest from Manchester United and Aston Villa, Football Transfers reports.

Erik ten Hag admitted his Manchester United side should have scored more goals after they eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over League One Wigan.

United had 33 attempts at goal, 14 of them on target, but in the end only managed to beat Latics’ impressive young goalkeeper Sam Tickle twice, first with Diogo Dalot’s 22nd-minute curling shot and then with a 74th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes.

Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho both hit the crossbar while Marcus Rashford brought some fine saves out of Tickle, but this was the 18th out of 23 domestic games in which United’s forwards failed to find the net.

“It’s all about the win but first half, the way we played, the performance, how we worked the ball, how we made our runs, the investment in the final third, we created a lot of chances and that was pleasing to see,” Ten Hag said.

“I think we should have scored more but the good thing is we created the chances.”

After a December in which United lost six of nine to increase the pressure on Ten Hag, the manager could not afford a slip-up and that showed in a team selection in which he made only two changes, one of them the return of Hojlund from illness.

Antony was out through injury while Christian Eriksen was ill, with Scott McTominay replacing the Dane.

“We have so many injuries and illnesses but still we put out a strong side,” Ten Hag added. “We had a good team, so we were confident before, we must win this game.

“You never underestimate any opponent, definitely not this side, you know they will fight for their life because it’s the game of their life, we took the game very good.”

Wigan had a superb early chance to take the lead with a quick break down the right, but goalkeeper Andre Onana denied Thelo Aasgaard from close range, and they would not have such a clear opportunity again.

“I think it’s a good save,” said Liverpool-born Norway youth international Aasgaard. “If it was on my right side I’d have the confidence to lift it but the keeper’s got down. It didn’t knock my confidence or anything. It was a good save.”

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney, the goal-scorer the only time Wigan have ever beaten United in a competitive fixture back in 2012, acknowledged that the moment could have changed the night, but admitted his side were well beaten.

“It might change the dynamic at that time in the game,” Maloney said. “United had some chances as well. We have to take a lot from it. Some of our players individually had really good performances. It is never nice to get beat but I hope we take a lot from it.

“In terms of effort, I’m very, very proud of what the players gave, it was a difficult match. United played very well. They’re a difficult opponent with the ball, we tried to be as aggressive as we could.

“We found it tough, I couldn’t criticise my players. We needed some good saves from the goalkeeper.”

Wigan had kept themselves in the game until Liam Shaw caught the toe of Fernandes with a little over 15 minutes left, and the United captain’s reaction made sure Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot.

“At the time I wasn’t so sure but what I would say is I’ve seen a slow motion (replay) and I think when you tackle like that and there is contact it’s going to be a penalty,” Maloney said. “I’ve got no complaints.”

Diogo Dalot feels Manchester United produced a controlled performance to book their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 win at Wigan.

Dalot put the visitors in front after 22 minutes, with Bruno Fernandes later converting a second-half penalty.

United dominated against the Sky Bet League One side, making 33 attempts on goal, which Dalot accepted they should have made more from.

“We created a lot of chances and what would have made the difference today was putting the ball in the net a bit more with the occasions which we had,” Dalot said on ITV1.

“They had one or two counter-attacks but overall we controlled the game and had some good moments.”

On his goal, the Portuguese full-back added: “It gave a little more comfort to the team. We needed a goal so we could be a little more calm and not rushing to score another one.

“We created a lot of chances and could have scored even more, overall that is what we missed today.”

United will be expected to make further progress when they head to either League Two Newport or non-League Eastleigh in the next round.

“That is why we are here. We are Man United, we play to win every competition. Hopefully we can be at Wembley and win it,” Dalot said.

Dalot feels the presence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Group is already starting to have a positive impact as they prepare to assume control of footballing operations once his purchase of a 25 per cent stake has been ratified in the coming weeks.

“It brings some good new energy, hopefully positive feelings. New things to conquer, looking to the future with good energy and they are bringing that,” Dalot said.

“You can feel at Carrington (training ground) already the motivation that they have brought in, hopefully we can win a lot of things together.”

Mauricio Pochettino urged his Chelsea players to free themselves of the burden of needing to reach the Carabao Cup final and instead prioritise enjoying Tuesday’s semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough.

The game at the Riverside could see Pochettino’s team put one foot in the club’s first major final since 2021 and place them on course to crown the manager’s first season in charge with silverware.

Chelsea have endured a disjointed six months since the Argentinian was appointed, with an expensively-assembled squad taking longer than hoped to acclimatise to new surroundings.

Pochettino fielded the club’s youngest-ever Premier League starting XI during the 2-1 home win against Crystal Palace in December, with an average age of just over 23, and a lack of senior experience has seemingly been a factor in the team being slow to find its groove.

Michael Carrick’s Boro are currently 12th in the Championship, two places above Preston who lost 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Chelsea were slow to ignite against second-tier opposition, taking until the 58th minute to break the deadlock after a solid first half that yielded few chances.

Pochettino warned against a similarly languid start on Tuesday night, but gave his young side licence to find the joy in the occasion.

“The most important thing is we need to enjoy the semi-final, not to feel like it’s compulsory for us to be in the final,” he said. “Football is not about that. You cannot play if you feel pressure and you don’t feel fresh in your mind.

“If you feel it’s compulsory (to win), always with some restriction – you need to take the semi-final as a great opportunity to enjoy playing football, performing well, running, being aggressive, being all together. Not to feel it’s compulsory to go to the final. You start to limit yourself.”

Chelsea have won four of their last five games in all competitions including the penalty shoot-out victory against Newcastle in December that set up Tuesday’s meeting on Teesside.

Pochettino hopes victory in the Carabao Cup final on February 25 could help engineer the chemistry the club need in order to succeed.

“One of the most important things is to create this chemistry between us (club staff),” he said. “We are maybe 120 people (at the club) seeing us every single day, it’s so important to work well together.

“And then the players, they need to trust. Always it’s a process. When there are so many new players on the team, in some ways it’s good, but it’s also about creating a chemistry. That is not easy. We need time.

“We don’t know if it’s two or three months, or six months or one season.

“We need to feel the trust, feel the confidence, to care for your team-mate. You are going to be there if something goes wrong.”

Pochettino added he does not see his apparent lack of aggression in the dugout or before the media as a problem as he seeks to improve his team’s competitiveness.

“One (important) thing is to be polite, empathise with people,” he said. “I don’t need to be aggressive. Why do I need to be aggressive? I don’t need to act.

“How you are as a coach, you translate your stamina, translate the way you want to play, you are aggressive during training sessions, in the way you approach players in the meetings. It doesn’t mean that after, outside, you have to be the same way.”