Arnor Sigurdsson scored twice as Blackburn thrashed QPR 4-0 to increase the pressure on R’s boss Gareth Ainsworth.

Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics also netted in a thumping away victory for Rovers, who had lost their previous four league matches.

Ainsworth’s future as Rangers boss is in doubt after another diabolical performance at Loftus Road, where the west London side have won just once since last October and have lost five of their six home matches so far this season.

The R’s are in the bottom three, have gone six games without a win, and look both defensively vulnerable and devoid of attacking ideas.

They almost went down under Ainsworth last season and have so far fully justified being among the favourites for relegation this term.

Blackburn took control of the game by punishing woeful QPR defending to score twice in the space of four minutes midway through the first half.

The opener came on 19 minutes, when Joe Rankin-Costello drifted away from Jack Colback to collect Dilan Markanday’s pass and pull the ball back from the right for Dolan to score his first goal of the season.

Rangers were carved open again soon afterwards, with Markanday once more involved in the build-up on the right-hand side.

This time Szmodics was found by Markanday and laid the ball across to Sigurdsson, who got in front of Ziyad Larkeche to apply the finish.

Rangers had made a decent start, with Sinclair Armstrong bringing a near-post save from keeper Leopold Wahlstedt after combining with Ilias Chair, before Wahlstedt gathered Lyndon Dykes’ header from Larkeche’s right-wing corner.

After finding themselves two down, the hosts tried in vain to reduce the deficit before the interval, with Andre Dozzell seeing a shot saved by Wahlstedt shortly before crossing for Dykes, who headed wide.

Any realistic chance of a Rangers comeback evaporated when Sigurdsson struck again after 59 minutes, collecting Dolan’s pass near the left of the penalty area and curling a low shot beyond keeper Asmir Begovic and into the far corner of the net.

Andy Moran should have made it four but missed the target from close range after Begovic had parried Szmodics’ shot.

But Szmodics added the fourth in the 66th minute following an error by Larkeche.

Left-back Larkeche, operating as a makeshift right-back in place of the dropped Osman Kakay, made a mess of an attempted clearance and presented the ball straight to Szmodics, who calmly slotted past Begovic.

Scott Tanser revealed it took only hours to agree a two-year contract extension that keeps him at St Mirren until the summer of 2026.

The 28-year-old wing-back joined Saints in June 2021 and has made 85 appearances for Stephen Robinson’s outfit.

Tanser, whose original deal was due to expire at the end of the season, told stmirren.com of how the new contract was quickly concluded.

He said: “It was very easy. When I say it was done within hours I’m not exaggerating. I had a chat with the manager and Jim Gillespie (vice chairman) in the morning and the deal was done by the afternoon. I’m happy here.

“The team is good, the staff are good and the whole club is together as a whole. It’s been amazing and the club has been amazing for me as well so extending my deal is great for me and my family.

“I’m really enjoying it and playing well so hopefully that continues.”

Robinson described Tanser’s new contract as “very good business” for the Paisley club.

Ahead of the visit of Rangers on Sunday, he said: “I think Scott has arguably been the best left-back in the league this season.

“It’s important that we do our business early and we recognise when people are doing well. I’m delighted that Scott has committed himself to the club for another two seasons.

“The amount of confidence he’s playing with when fans have really got behind him is a lesson for all of us. Sometimes people need an arm round them.

“His ability is undeniable. He’s a brilliant athlete and he’s been terrific for us this season.

“The board appreciate that we are trying to keep building and we’re not making 10-plus signings each season. That’s the way we are trying to do our business.

“I believe it’s very good business and hopefully there’s more to come in the coming weeks.”

Inter Milan blew a two-goal to drop points at the top of Serie A as Bologna earned a 2-2 draw at the San Siro.

Inter looked set to move clear at the summit of the table after they burst into a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes as Francesco Acerbi and Lautaro Martinez scored.

But mid-table Bologna hit back, with Bendetta Orsolini scoring from the penalty spot before the break and Joshua Zirkzee earned a point after the break.

The result was a big boost for Inter’s city rivals AC Milan, who play at Genoa later on Saturday and go three points ahead with a win.

Although the hosts made a fast start, it was Bologna that almost drew first blood as former Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson hit the post in an open start to the match.

But it was the hosts that soon took control as Acerbi headed home from Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner in the 11th minute.

Two minutes later it was 2-0 as Martinez doubled the lead in style, rocketing a 25-yard shot into the top corner for his 10th goal of the season, becoming just the third Inter player in history to reach double figures in the opening eight matches.

Bologna were shell-shocked, but they responded well and were awarded an 18th-minute penalty when VAR spotted an infringement at a corner, with Martinez ruled to have fouled Ferguson.

Orsolini converted from 12 yards, though Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer may be disappointed after he got a hand to it.

Inter should have restored their two-goal lead eight minutes before the break as both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Calhanoglu found space in the area but could not get a shot away.

Bologna responded well after the break and levelled seven minutes after the restart.

Zirkzee got the ball on the edge of the area and wrong-footed Sommer, shooting into the near post to make it 2-2.

Inter thought they had regained the lead on the hour when Sanchez converted Carlos Augusto’s cross, but it was ruled out for offside.

Boss Simone Inzhagi’s frustration boiled over and he received a yellow card in protestations at refereeing decisions.

His mood did not improve as Martinez then flashed a header just wide from a corner as they pushed to regain the lead.

The pressure mounted in the final 10 minutes with Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski beating away Augusto’s shot before the same player headed over at the death.

Ange Postecoglou hailed 10-man Tottenham after their 1-0 win at Luton but insisted they have achieved nothing by going top of the Premier League in October.

Spurs produced a gritty display to claim all three points at Kenilworth Road after Micky van de Ven scored his first goal for the club in the 52nd minute following James Maddison’s cut-back.

Tottenham’s task was made a whole lot harder when Yves Bissouma was sent off for two bookable offences towards the end of the first half, the second yellow card for simulation, but Postecoglou’s team held firm in the face of late Luton pressure.

“Two different halves, I thought we played some great football in the first half. I thought it was as good as we’ve played and we probably should have been two or three up,” Postecoglou said.

“Obviously the red card changes the game but again I thought the lads handled it really well. They stayed calm and composed.

“In the end just the sheer will and effort of them to make sure we won, not just the starters but the guys coming on, it was a great collective effort.

“Biss made a mistake. He has been brilliant for us this year. He made a mistake and the good thing is how he reacts to these things.

“His team-mates made sure that mistake didn’t cost us and I’m sure when Biss gets back in the team he will reciprocate and make sure that whatever else happens he can get us over the line.

“With all these things I always look at reactions. What are we doing about it? I thought the reaction was outstanding.”

Victory helped Spurs take over from Manchester City at the Premier League summit with the champions in action on Sunday away to last season’s runners-up Arsenal.

A draw at the Emirates Stadium would keep Tottenham top for the international break, but Postecoglou played down their league position – despite this being their best start to a top-flight season since the club’s 1960-61 double-winning campaign.

He added: “I don’t think you read too much. They’re not silly, they know it’s only October and being top of the league now doesn’t really mean anything tangible apart from the fact that we’ve started the season well.

“It’s not like they’re sitting in there thinking we’ve achieved anything. We haven’t achieved anything. All we’ve done is lay some really good foundations.

“Our goals and ambitions lay in improvement. Can we play better? Can we become a better team? And if we do that then we’ll see where that takes us.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards was frustrated that another strong display failed to produce any points.

Spurs started impressively and could have been 3-0 up inside 10 minutes but Richarlison sliced over from close range before Thomas Kaminski saved another effort by the Brazilian and Pedro Porro rolled wide when one-on-one.

Tottenham remained on top until Bissouma’s red card when he went down under close proximity to Marvelous Nakamba, but there had been no contact and referee John Brooks showed the visiting midfielder a second yellow card.

The clash played in front of a partisan Kenilworth Road crowd hinged on a crucial five minutes after half-time when Elijah Adebayo could not convert Chiedozie Ogbene’s dangerous cross from the right in the 47th minute.

Soon after Van de Ven tapped home when Maddison spun away from Alfie Doughty and picked out the Dutch defender in the six-yard box.

“We had a huge opportunity, a massive chance we didn’t take and we’ve been punished for it because we switched off for the short corner. Those two moments are big in the game,” Edwards reflected.

“They are top of the Premier League, they will have chances and we are new to it. I was really pleased with a lot of what I saw, but I am really disappointed and flat as well.”

Both managers were angry with referee Simon Mather after Oxford United beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 at the Kassam Stadium in a match that saw three red cards dished out.

Rovers had Jevani Brown dismissed for two yellow cards midway through the second half, and Oxford had two of their substitutes, Oisin Smyth and Stan Mills, sent off in stoppage time.

Billy Bodin and Sam Long scored the goals which secured Oxford’s fifth successive Sky Bet League One victory, despite Aaron Collins’ late consolation.

United head coach Liam Manning said: “It was chaos at the end. I need to see the Mills one back again before I say anything about it because my initial decision is that it wasn’t a red card.

“I was delighted with the win, but I’m not happy with the end.

“We made it hard for ourselves with some of our decisions on the ball and not putting chances away, and we need to be more disciplined – that’s something I’ll have to look at.

“I don’t really want to be talking about the referee, I’d much rather talk about the performance, but the level of refereeing performances in general is not meeting the standards we need.

“And it’s just frustrating that the outcome of some games seems to depend on the referee.

“It was a tough first half. Out of possession we ended up conceding too much of the ball. The one moment of real quality came from Billy Bodin for our goal.”

Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton felt his side should have had a penalty and that Collins’ disallowed goal in the first half should not have been ruled out.

“I feel severely aggrieved by the referee’s performance,” he said. “We’ll get fined if I tell the truth but clearly anyone who watched that will see there was a lack of control from the officiating team for most of the game.

“I think the officials will look back at this game and, when they are debriefed, there will be a lot of things they’ll wish they did differently.

“Everyone who was here today knows we were the better side. If they don’t, then they don’t understand the game of football.

“We showed who the stronger group is. We had seven or eight missing today. Oxford are a good side on a good run but they are nowhere near as good as us.

“It would have been a great game of football had it been officiated correctly but it descended into a slightly farcical situation.

“I can’t wait to get our hands back on Oxford again at our place. It’s a team we look forward to playing. We have nothing to fear in this division.”

Fuming Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray hit out at the “ridiculous” Dan Neil red card decision that “spoilt the game” after the Black Cats were thumped 4-0 by Middlesbrough in the Wear-Tees derby.

Midfielder Neil was given a second yellow card for dissent in first half stoppage time when the game was goalless.

But having claimed to have been told by referee Jarred Gillett that he’d officiate the game “empathetically”, Mowbray says he was left in shock after claiming Neil was sent off for swearing as he claimed for a foul.

Boro took advantage after the break, with Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isaiah Jones and substitute Marcus Forss running in four goals as Michael Carrick’s side enjoyed their fourth successive Championship victory.

“I don’t understand the logic of it,” Mowbray said of the Neil decision.

“I found it ridiculous that in the manager’s meeting before the game, which I have to go to, he is saying that he is going to manage the game empathetically. Local derby, 45,000, and he gives a red for gesticulating.

“Dan told me that he’s watched it back, he’s 20 yards away and waved his arms and said that’s an effing foul. That’s the emotion of a young man in a local derby, and he’s not swearing at the referee. I do that when I’m emotional, I don’t swear often but when I’m emotional it can come out.

“Dan is a great kid, he’s competitive. He’s distraught because he thinks he’s let the team down but I don’t think he’s done much wrong. In the context of the game, I don’t think the decision was appropriate.”

“It’s a good game and when the referee talks about empathy before the game, he does talk about gesticulating and not crowding the referee but I don’t feel there is any empathy in showing a red card in the last minute of the first half.

“Surely, he’s got to pull him over and use some empathy? Tell him to calm down, it’s a great game with two teams going at it, 45,000 in the stadium, ‘I’ll have to show you another yellow if you shout or gesticulate more’.

“Where’s the management from the official? I hope that’s not being overly critical, I’m just disappointed because it was a really good first half.”

The game was evenly matched before the sending off but Boro quickly took control after the break and did not look back after Leeds loanee Greenwood – who came through the ranks at Sunderland before joining Arsenal when was 16 – broke the deadlock.

Carrick said: “I’m obviously delighted. It’s a terrific result, a really good day.

“The game changed on a couple of moments but playing against 10 men can be difficult. We were conscious of that and we wanted to almost play like we had the 10 men, that mentality.

“Playing against a team a man down, you have to make the most of the extra space and be clever enough to use it. I thought we did that well.T he boys did that so well.”

Asked for his verdict on the red card decision, Carrick said: “I haven’t got a clue, I don’t know what was said or the incident. It was a surprise to see it. I don’t know what’s gone on, we just had to make the most of it really.”

Luis Enrique has vowed to get the best out of superstar Kylian Mbappe as he attempts to address Paris St Germain’s stuttering form.

The Ligue 1 champions return to domestic action at Rennes on Sunday still smarting from their 4-1 Champions League drubbing at Newcastle on Wednesday evening, during which Mbappe cut a frustrated figure.

However speaking at his pre-match press conference, PSG boss Enrique dismissed concerns over the striker’s fitness – he limped out of the 4-0 win over Marseille a fortnight ago with an ankle injury, but has started the two games since – and backed him to return to his best form.

He said: “Kylian is 100 per cent. Like all players, his fitness varies throughout the season. Not everything can be black and white.

“He’s a decisive player for us and my aim as coach is to make the most of his qualities.”

Like Mbappe, summer signing Ousmane Dembele made little impact at St James’ Park, but Enrique called for patience with the former Barcelona star as he adapts to his new surroundings.

He said: “I’m very happy with Ousmane’s work so far. I don’t think we need to put any particular pressure on him.

“The first person to blame when things aren’t going well is the coach. My real objective is to attack with 11 attackers and defend with 11 defenders.

“Ousmane Dembele plays on the flanks but he can also come into the middle to provide support. He’s an ideal player for my playing philosophy, with the ability to unbalance opponents. I’m happy with his attitude and his performances.”

PSG headed into the weekend sitting in fifth place in the table, two points behind early leaders Monaco, but having won only four of their nine games in all competitions to date to leave Enrique himself in the firing line.

However, the Spaniard remained defiant in the wake of intense criticism of his side’s performance at Newcastle.

He said: “My job is to find the best way to achieve the best possible results. In any case, I have every confidence in my players and my staff going forward.”

Rennes, who lost for the first time this season when they went down 1-0 at Villarreal in the Europa League on Thursday evening, have frustrated PSG in recent seasons, completing a league double over them last season.

The Parisians have not returned from Rennes with all three points since September 2018 and have managed just a single draw in their last four visits.

Enrique said: “Rennes are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the league. Historically, they’re a club that we’ve had some difficulty facing, especially when we play them away.

“They have some very interesting attacking systems, with some very strong individual attacking players.”

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is expecting the unexpected when his side returns to Bundesliga action on Sunday against Freiburg.

Bayern sit third in the table, unbeaten in their opening six matches, but had to fight back from 2-0 down to salvage a point in last week’s 2-2 draw at Leipzig.

Tuchel’s side also came from behind in midweek to win 2-1 in Copenhagen and make it two wins from two Champions League group matches.

After quickly refocusing on this weekend’s domestic challenge, Tuchel told a press conference: “We really want to get all three points, but we know how difficult it will be, so we’ll have to show up on Sunday.

“Freiburg change their system a lot and I’m 100 per cent sure that they’ll do everything possible to make our lives difficult. We’ll have to be ready for that.”

Freiburg have not beaten Bayern in the Bundesliga in 14 attempts – their last win being in 2015 – but they knocked Tuchel’s side out of the DFB Cup last season.

Lucas Holer scored a 95th-minute penalty as Freiburg came from behind to win the quarter-final tie 2-1 in Tuchel’s second game in charge of Bayern.

The Bavarians’ last three matches have all been on the road and Tuchel admitted after Tuesday night’s win in Denmark that the travel had taken its toll.

“It was a long journey, which the boys are feeling the effects of,” he said. “We’ve played a lot of away games recently.”

Tuchel confirmed Matthijs de Ligt has still not recovered from the knee injury sustained in last month’s 7-0 home win against Bochum, but Raphael Guerreiro was back in training.

The Portugal midfielder has been sidelined since injuring his calf during pre-season.

“Unfortunately, Matthijs de Ligt has not made as quick a recovery as we had hoped for. Dayot Upamecano and Kim (Min-jae) are fit to play,” Tuchel added.

Freiburg, whose cup success at the Allianz Arena last season was their only win against Bayern in Munich, will be without suspended midfielder Nicolas Hofler.

Michael Gregoritsch and Yannik Keitel both missed Freiburg’s 2-1 home Europa League defeat to West Ham on Thursday and remain doubtful.

Oxford United beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 in a fiery Sky Bet League One match that saw three red cards.

Billy Bodin finished superbly in the 13th minute to put United ahead.

Controlling Ruben Rodrigues’ chip with his chest to beat his marker, Bodin hammered the ball past Matthew Cox for his second goal of the season.

Rovers were reduced to 10 men in the 63rd minute when Jevani Brown collected a second yellow card for tripping Josh Murphy.

Oxford effectively sealed the points nine minutes from time with defender Sam Long nodding in at close range following Cameron Brannagan’s corner.

Aaron Collins pulled one back for The Gas on 89 minutes, rifling an angled shot high into the net.

Oxford then had two of their substitutes sent off in stoppage time.

Oisin Smyth was given his marching orders for two yellow cards, and moments later Stan Mills was shown a straight red card for violent conduct after a clash with Sam Finley.

Middlesbrough took full advantage of Dan Neil’s first half red card and ran riot after the break to hammer Sunderland 4-0 in the Wear-Tees derby at the Stadium of Light.

Midfielder Neil was sent off for Tony Mowbray’s side deep in first half stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for dissent, allowing Boro to take complete control.

Former Sunderland youngster Sam Greenwood, who came through the ranks on Wearside before leaving for Arsenal when he was just 16 and later joining Leeds, broke the deadlock on 58 minutes before Matt Crooks added a second goal two minutes later.

The impressive Isaiah Jones scored the third 17 minutes from time before substitute Marcus Forss wrapped up the emphatic victory in the last minute.

After failing to pick up three points in any of the first seven Championship games, Boro – who were widely fancied for promotion before a ball was kicked this season – have now won four league games on the bounce.

Sunderland had won five of their last six games and were first to threaten when Abdoullah Ba fired just over the crossbar inside the first 10 minutes, before Patrick Roberts forced a fine save out of Seny Dieng after a weaving run from the right.

Boro responded well and after Greenwood’s shot was only parried by Anthony Patterson, Josh Coburn hit the outside of the post with the rebound from a tight angle.

The game swung in Boro’s favour deep in first half stoppage time when Neil, who had been booked earlier in the half for a foul on Coburn, was given a second yellow card for dissent. A melee then broke out at half-time after a Coburn foul on Ballard, with Carrick and his coaching team rushing on to the pitch in an effort to calm things down.

Boro had two glorious chances early in the second half as they set about making the most of their numerical advantage. Patterson made a fine save at the feet of Crooks, who looked certain to slot home Jones’ cross from the right. From the resulting corner, Paddy McNair headed over just four yards out.

The goal Boro had threatened arrived 13 minutes after the break. Dael Fry picked out Greenwood inside the box and the 21-year-old lashed beyond Patterson. Just two minutes later the game was all but over as Jones beat Clarke down the right before teeing up Crooks for a tap in.

Jones got the goal he deserved after weaving across the pitch from the right and keeping his cool to slot home with his left foot. And after substitute Latte Lath’s shot was saved by Patterson in the 90th minute, Forss was on hand to score the fourth.

Micky van de Ven’s first goal in English football fired 10-man Tottenham to the Premier League summit with a 1-0 win at Luton.

Spurs entered this fixture following a controversial 2-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend, where Jurgen Klopp’s side were denied a legitimate goal due to a “significant human error” by VAR operator Darren England.

It meant three points for Ange Postecoglou’s team at Kenilworth Road would send them to the summit for at least 24 hours, but they had to work hard for it after Yves Bissouma was sent off in first-half stoppage-time.

Bissouma was booked twice in quick succession by referee John Brooks, the second for simulation, but Van de Ven’s close-range finish in the 52nd minute earned Tottenham a hard-fought win.

This was the first meeting between the clubs since 1992 and the hostile atmosphere was a throwback to that era with even TNT pundits Rio Ferdinand and Peter Crouch booed ahead of kick-off.

Spurs had put seven goals past the other newly-promoted teams this season and should have added to that tally inside 10 minutes.

Richarlison was guilty of fluffing his lines twice, firing off target via his shin with the goal at his mercy from Dejan Kulusevski’s third-minute cross before Thomas Kaminski denied the Brazilian with his feet after James Maddison’s slick through ball 60 seconds later.

Pedro Porro was next to squander an excellent opportunity when Son Heung-min played him through and he fired wide. The Tottenham captain also curled into the stand before Luton started to settle.

Huge cheers greeted the Hatters’ first corner in the 25th minute, although top goalscorer Carlton Morris could only send his header off target following Alfie Doughty’s delivery.

The visitors remained a threat and a driving run by Pape Sarr set up Kulusevski, but Kaminski produced an excellent fingertip save to parry the 18-yard curler wide.

Luton had the ball in the net after 39 minutes but it was immediately ruled out and a VAR check showed Elijah Adebayo had shoved Cristian Romero.

Doughty’s free-kick dropped for Adebayo, who after pushing Romero flicked over Guglielmo Vicario and onto the post where Lockyer headed in, only for it to be disallowed.

The free-kick came from a Bissouma foul on Chiedozie Ogbene and referee Brooks booked the Tottenham midfielder for a professional foul.

A second yellow card followed in first-half stoppage time for simulation when Bissouma went down under close proximity from Marvelous Nakamba, but there was no contact and Brooks correctly sent off the visiting player.

Luton should have taken the lead two minutes after half-time when Ogbene held off Destiny Udogie and crossed in for Adebayo, but he could not steer his effort on target.

The hosts were hit with a sucker-punch in the 52nd minute when Van de Ven opened his account for Tottenham.

After a number of corners in quick succession, it proved third time lucky for Postecoglou’s side when Maddison collected Kulusevski’s short corner and brilliantly spun away from Doughty before he cut back for Van de Ven to slot home from six yards.

It briefly silenced the partisan Kenilworth Road crowd but they were soon roaring their team on and Doughty dragged wide soon after the opener.

Morris tested Vicario minutes later and, although Porro sent an effort just past the post for Tottenham in the 62nd minute, Luton started to build momentum.

Jacob Brown headed over before substitute Cauley Woodrow had a weak shot saved.

A deflected effort wide by Doughty was the final warning sign for Postecoglou, who introduced Emerson Royal and Oliver Skipp for Son and Maddison with 14 minutes left but Spurs held on to go top.

Connor Goldson says Rangers have to target nothing less than victory at St Mirren on Sunday.

The Ibrox club and their fans are still reeling from the 2-1 Europa League defeat to Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday night.

An embarrassing loss to the Cypriot champions came days after boss Michael Beale departed following a dismal defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox which left the Light Blues trailing cinch Premiership leaders Celtic by seven points after only seven fixtures.

Former Gers midfielder Steven Davis took over the hot seat on an interim basis and will be in charge again for the trip to Paisley to play second-place Saints, who are unbeaten in the league this season.

Goldson acknowledged the significance of the game and knows three points is the only option for the Govan side, who have lost three of their seven league games and failed to qualify for the Champions League after losing in the play-offs to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.

The 30-year-old defender said: “Every game of football is important to us.

“We have to win. It is the demands of Rangers football club and we need to go there and win the game of football.

“We have to recover as quickly as possible and go to St Mirren and win the game.”

There was no improvement in Davis’ first game in charge of Rangers and Goldson looked back at Beale’s departure as he assessed the way forward for the Ibrox side.

He said: “It is one of those things (Beale leaving). It is our fault. We are not performing on the football pitch.

“The manager has obviously taken the blame for that and  lost his job.

“Davo (Davis) comes in, we all have so much respect for him but we haven’t done the job again.

“We as individuals, as a team, need to sit down and look at ourselves, first – are you doing everything you can to make this club better?

“You don’t pick up results at this football club, it is a tough place to play.

“If you do pick up results, then it is best place to play so we need to turn it around very quickly.

“We speak all the time. But there is enough speaking going on. We need to get on that pitch and start performing better as a team.”

Meanwhile, it has been widely reported that the Ibrox club will hold final interviews for the vacant managerial post next week but former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard will not be involved.

Former Rangers player and current Yokohama F Marinos boss Kevin Muscat, AZ Alkmaar manager Pascal Jansen, former Monaco boss Phillipe Clement and former Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner, are among others who have been linked with the job.

The group stage of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup came to an exciting conclusion on Thursday night.

There were many excellent individual performances over the course of the group stage, yet these 11 players stood out the most at their respective positions.

Goalkeeper  

Jonathan Fonkel, Robinhood – Robinhood captured the top spot in Group B thanks in part to the efforts of Fonkel, who conceded just four goals while making 23 saves and 19 clearances.

Defenders  

Manuel Vidal, Moca – Vidal played a big role in Moca marching forward to the semifinals by making seven steals and nine clearances, plus scoring a goal.

Alierio Belfor, Robinhood – Sixteen clearances and six steals from Belfor was one of the many reasons why 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield winners Robinhood surged to a first-place finish in their group.

Justin Garcia, Defence Force – Garcia was one of the best passing defenders in the group stage, completing 92 percent of his passes while making eight steals and 10 clearances.

Midfielders

Clifford Thomas, Moca – Thomas was one of the anchors in the Moca midfield with seven steals while completing more than 90 percent of his passes.

Jalmaro Calvin, Cavalier – Calvin was seemingly everywhere for Cavalier. He scored two goals and chipped in three assists on the attacking end, and had a clearance and a steal on the defensive end.

Reon Moore, Defence Force – Moore performed at a high level in every match and finished with two goals, an assist and a steal.

Renske Adipi, Robinhood – Robinhood were in good hands with Adipi in midfield, evidenced by him completing 80 percent of his passes, scoring a goal and making four steals.

Forwards 

Shaquiel Bradford, Harbour View – Bradford wreaked havoc on defenses in the group stage and finished the four games with three goals and an assist.

Shaquille Cairo, Robinhood – The top scorer in the Shield with 10 goals followed that effort up with a five-goal haul in the Caribbean Cup group stage for Robinhood. He also had two steals.

Shaniel Thomas, Cavalier – Simply put; Thomas was breathtaking for Cavalier. He twice notched hat tricks during the team’s four games to help him finish with a tournament-leading seven goals. Defensively he helped, too, with three steals.

Napoli boss Rudi Garcia is expecting his team to deliver against Fiorentina on Sunday.

The Partenopei boss revealed at a press conference that he asked his team to win their three Serie A matches ahead of the international break, following a disappointing goalless draw at Bologna.

After a 4-1 home victory over Udinese and 4-0 success at Lecce last time out, Garcia’s players are close to providing the right answer to his request.

Ahead of Sunday’s visit of La Viola to the Stadio Maradona, Garcia told his club’s official website: “I asked the team for three straight wins and on Sunday we have the chance to achieve that.

“We’re in third place, alongside Fiorentina. We want to beat them to stay up near the top and consolidate our position.”

However, the 59-year-old knows his team will not have things all their own way as they seek to extend their winning league run.

He continued: “We know they’re a team who play good football and they’ve enjoyed an excellent start to the season.

“Fiorentina have top-quality players, they’re well drilled and have a clear playing philosophy. They’ve scored lots of headed goals and we’ve analysed their strengths.

“They’re a similar team to us in the way they press and win the ball back. We know it will be a difficult match but we’re playing at home and we must show we’re capable of winning it.”

Despite their strong league form, Napoli lost 3-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

However, Garcia says the team should not be short of confidence despite the home defeat.

He explained: “We can take confidence and become stronger because of it. The way we played shows we’re capable of giving world-class teams like Real a game.

“There were little things we should have done better, especially when we conceded the goals, but it can help us grow.

“The Real Madrid match shows we’re a strong side but now we need to take that into our game on Sunday and be even more determined when defending.”

Garcia has not ruled out making changes against Fiorentina, revealing he would decide after their final training session ahead of the game.

Defender Amir Rrahmani is closing in on a return from a muscle injury but is not yet fit to play 90 minutes.

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson says qualifying for next year’s Copa America is of utmost significance for the staff to properly polish the team’s playing style, as he again stressed the need for consistent improvement to drive their 2026 FIFA World Cup ambitions.

“I think we can, as a national team, improve a lot of areas. The JFF as well, I think can do a lot more, but we are closer to what the best national teams are doing. Playing style, I think we are getting there slowly, but in order to improve our playing style we have to work with the same players.

“So, I think we have found a core of players that we think we can continue working with and then we can develop a playing style,” Hallgrimsson declared during a press conference at the Jamaica Football Federation’s offices on Friday.  

Hallgrimsson’s sentiments came on Friday as he announced the addition of Charlton Athletic pair Karoy Anderson and Michael Hector to his 23-member Reggae Boyz squad for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League fixtures away to Grenada and Haiti on October 12 and 15, respectively.

London-Born midfielder, Anderson, 19, is a first-time call up, while Hector, 31, returns to the setup after an almost two-year absence.

Both, along with goalkeeper Kemar Foster, Dexter Lembikisa, and West Ham United’s Michail Antonio, replace goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke midfielder Kasey Palmer, forward Dujuan Richards and defenders Amari’i Bell and Ethan Pinnock, who all miss out due to injuries among other reasons.

“We cannot develop a playing style picking 12 new players every camp because then we would have to start over. Being a national team coach, we know that there are two training in a game, so there is not a lot of time to get the team on the pitch. So, in that case, I think we are doing well with the time, but again, if we want to continue to grow it is important to go to finals and go to Copa America and spend a month with the team to grow on and off the pitch,” Hallgrimsson shared.

The 56th-ranked Jamaicans, who bettered Honduras 1-0 and came-from-behind for a 2-2 stalemate with Haiti, both at the National Stadium, currently sit atop Group B in League A on four points, same as second-placed Cuba.

Victories in both games, would guarantee Hallgrimsson’s side a spot in next month’s quarter-final where they would face Canada or Costa Rica, provided Cuba does not surpass them on goal difference, should they too win their two encounters.

If the Boyz were to finish in the runners-up position, they would have United States or Mexico to contend with in their hunt for a Copa America berth. The 48th edition of the quadrennial international men's tournament is scheduled for June 20 to July 14, in the United States and will act as a prelude to the 2026 World Cup, also to be hosted in North America.

“We have a lot to improve on and we know that so now going for these tricky away matches, it's going to be a tough, tough task. To get into the quarterfinal is important for so many reasons because if we win that game, it will secure us to place in the semi-final and hopefully from there we will get to the final and that gives us the right to play Copa America next summer,” the tactician stated.

“So, for many reasons this is important for our team. Number one, to grow to play in tournaments that really will test us to play against the best teams. So, it is an important step for developing a good team to qualify for the World Cup in 2026. We want to put all our emphasis on this camp coming up and go for six points to finish top of the group,” he added.

“We have quite a few versatile players in the squad, and I think that is a benefit to a small nation like Jamaica. So, in our minds I think we have solutions to the problems, and we decided to go for a young player [Anderson] to look at this camp to see how we can manage him within the players group we have,” Hallgrimsson ended.

Squad: Andre Blake, Kemar Foster, Jahmali Waite, Javain Brown, Tayvon Gray, Di’Shon Bernard, Michael Hector, Greg Leigh, Adrian Mariappa, Damion Lowe, Dexter Lembikisa, Bobby Decordova Reid, Daniel Johnson, Joel Latibeaudiere, Kevon Lambert, Karoy Anderson, Demario Phillips, Michail Antonio, Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Shamar Nicholson, Romario Williams, Renaldo Cephas