Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha hopes to help Josh Windass become a more complete player

PEDRO CAIXINHA has vowed to help turn Josh Windass into a Rangers match-winner.

The midfielder was virtually unplayable for the opening 45 minutes as Gers opened their Ladbrokes Premiership campaign with victory at Motherwell.

But while the Light Blues faithful were busy lapping up his pacey dribbles and two efforts which came back off the woodwork, Caixinha was more interested in the lapses of concentration that almost cost his team dear.

The Portuguese coach pointed out the former Accrington playmaker’s positional mistake which led to Ben Heneghan’s equaliser but explained that he is only taking a hard-line approach because he wants the 23-year-old to fulfil his potential.

“Josh is a very good prospect,” said Caixinha. “He has huge physicality when he accelerates the game forward on the pitch.

“Things are going in the right direction but we need to keep working hard.

“I always like to look for the points where our individual players need to improve. It doesn’t matter if it’s one of the youngest like Josh or one of the oldest like Bruno Alves or Kenny Miller.

“If we have some points that we identify as a pattern that we can change in a training session or by watching some footage to convince them they need to do it, then we will.

“Josh is one player that I am keen to change to see the way he sees the game, the way he approaches the game so that he can become a much more complete player.

“If he can give you all that he does and understand the other moments of the game, the defensive ones, and that you need to be switched on all the time, then I will be glad to help him.

“He knows that and we are working together in the direction.”

The 2-1 win in Lanarkshire saw a host of Caixinha’s summer recruits sample their first taste of Scottish football.

It was a thrilling contest that could have gone either way before Rangers clung on to grab three points thanks to Graham Dorrans’ debut double.

But Caixinha admits his new signings need to learn quickly and will continue to live dangerously unless they can grab games by the scruff of the neck.

“They found it different,” he said. “I spoke to Bruno Alves and said to him, ‘So this is Scottish football’.

“He said it reminded him of playing for Porto B a long time ago when they were in Portugal’s second division, playing up north.

“This was the same type of football played in that scenario. He is used to it but we all need to understand this is going to be the reality.

“Sunday’s game was physical with the long balls and fighting for the second balls. All the time the ball was in the air.

“If you don’t want to face this reality, then we need to change the game and have it under our control. That’s one of the points we need to improve.”

The win was a welcome relief for the Ibrox side following on from their Europa League embarrassment.

Rangers now kick off their Betfred Cup campaign with a last-16 showdown against Dunfermline at Ibrox.

And midfielder Ryan Jack knows his side cannot afford to let the little roll of momentum they have built up with their encouraging end to pre-season come to a juddering halt against the Pars.

“Sunday was a good result and it gives us something to build on,” said the former Aberdeen skipper.

“After the friendly with Marseille a couple of weeks ago we sat down after and spoke about how important it was for us to get the confidence and spirit back.

“We need to try and build some momentum. We’ve now carried that through the Watford and Sheffield Wednesday friendlies and then into Sunday’s match.

“It’s a good start and now it’s about pushing that on so that every game we go into, we do it with a spring in our step.”