Mark Warburton is evidently feeling an enormous pressure right now with the kind of form Rangers have shown since their promotion. Many expected them to offer a solid challenge to their arch rivals Celtic for the Premiership title this time out after being absent from the top tier of Scottish football for four years since their liquidation but Rangers’ form has been a big letdown. Scottish Premiership had become more of a one-horse race in recent years and it looks like this season is going to be no exception.
Rangers have struggled to find any kind of consistency in their game and injuries have made the situation even worse. Rangers’ midfield department has been cursed badly by injury problems and The Daily Mail claims that Mark Warburton is looking to bring Joao Teixeira on loan from Porto to ease the situation. Teixeira is a well-known name to British football followers from his time at Liverpool.
Expectations were big from the Portuguese starlet when Liverpool snapped him up from Sporting Lisbon back in 2012 after his impressive performances for the youth team of the Portuguese giants in the 2011-12 NextGen Series. The attacking midfielder grew as a player at Liverpool and used to a regular for the under-21 side of the Reds and got valuable loan experience with Brighton and Hove Albion.
During now-Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers’ time at Liverpool, Teixeira made his first-team debut for the Reds. Most Liverpool fans were highly optimistic about the young playmaker’s future at Liverpool but it was Rodgers’ mismanagement which was the main reason behind the youngster’s failure to make it big. Rodgers did not give him too many chances, much to the frustration of Liverpool supporters, who watched him star in pre-season and in rare opportunities in EFL Cup games.
Last season Teixeira was persuaded to stay by Rodgers, but he left the youngster out of the Europa League squad, a tournament which should have provided him with an opportunity to play. Jurgen Klopp had no option but let him go in the summer because at 23, he needed regular playing time and he did not grow enough to become a part of his first-team plans.
Teixeira, since his switch back to his homeland with Porto, has played just 15 minutes this season and Porto won’t mind letting him depart on loan. A creative, flamboyant and skillful midfielder, Teixeira is capable of playing as a number ten, number eight or on either flank and might enjoy his time in Scottish football. He does have the quality to succeed big time in the Scottish Premiership.
With Niko Kranjcar out for the season, Barton having left the club and Rossiter and Windass struggling for fitness, Teixeira will be a smart capture on loan from Warburton. The Portuguese starlet has plenty to prove at the bigger stage and Rangers won’t regret the decision of giving him the opportunity.
