Scottish Gossip: Pedro Caixinha, Ally McCoist, Michael O'Neill, Finn Russell

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Rangers directors held a summit with the first-team squad and staff at the Auchenhowie training base to assure them Pedro Caixinha is ready to lead the club out of crisis. (Daily Record)

Former Rangers striker and manager Ally McCoist feels the Portuguese will need to be backed with transfer cash. "It doesn't matter who comes into that job at the moment, if it's Walter Smith, Jose Mourinho or Alex Ferguson, they need help," he says. "They need financial help and financial investment in the club and the team." (Daily Express)

Ally McCoist is far from convinced that Rangers' immediate problems will be solved by appointing a director of football

McCoist denies claims he was responsible for the failure of Resolution 11 being passed at the Rangers AGM. The Ibrox board were looking to offer new shares without first offering them to existing shareholders, including Sports Direct supremo Mike Ashley, an unpopular figure among a section of the Gers support. But the board's resolution fell just short. McCoist feels the leak about him not voting - he was out of the country - was "an attempt to get the fans turned against me." (Scotsman)

And McCoist describes the idea that a director of football is going to solve Rangers' problems now as "absolute garbage". "It is nonsense. I have never heard so much nonsense in all my life," he insists. (Scotsman)

Partick Thistle midfielder Ryan Edwards says that it is a dream come true to have been called up by Australia. He is in Ange Postecoglou's 30-man pool for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. (Herald)

Hamilton manager Martin Canning accuses Rangers striker Joe Garner of deliberately trying to hurt Accies forward Dougie Imrie with a wild lunge in last weekend's Scottish Cup match at Ibrox. (Daily Record)

Interim manager Lee McCulloch is still considering whether he wants the Kilmarnock job on a more permanent basis. He says: "Your phone is going non-stop and it is quite intense. It is for some people and it isn't for others. The difference from being a coach to assistant manager is huge. The difference from assistant to actually being manager is even bigger." (Sun)

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill hails the improvement made to Celtic by Brendan Rodgers. "Brendan has raised the bar, not just at Celtic but for the whole of Scottish football. Whoever goes into the club after him will have a tough job," he suggests. (Sun)

Rangers are warned that they will have to fend off strong interest from several of England's leading clubs to land Paul Mitchell as their new director of football. (National)

Finn Russell will be a key player for Scotland at Twickenham

Aberdeen defender Mark Reynolds is in a race against time to be fit for next month's Scottish Cup semi-final against Hibernian. (Press and Journal)

OTHER GOSSIP

With stand-off Finn Russell calling the shots, the single most important feature of Scotland's revival has been their "ruthlessness" in the opposition 22. (Daily Telegraph)

Russell hopes the Scotland players can put a smile on the face of departing coach Vern Cotter by beating England at Twickenham. "It is his second-last game and it's a big one so we'll definitely be going down there and trying to get the win for him and for us," says the Glasgow Warriors number 10. (Daily Express)s

Andy Robinson, former head coach of both Scotland and England, thinks Saturday's Calcutta Cup match will be a fight to the finish but that England will edge it. He says: "Scotland's defence has been exceptional in the first three games and if they get it right again they will be in it. The pressure will build on England because of the expectation." (Daily Mail)

Laura Muir's coach Andy Young calls the European Indoor double champion "pretty much the finished package". (Herald)