IT is often said that you learn more in defeat than you do in victory. As he watched his Rangers side draw with Motherwell on Saturday, Pedro Caixinha’s knowledge would have been enhanced that little bit more.

The first few weeks of a new era at Ibrox have been enlightening for the Portuguese and his players. As Caixinha settles into life in Light Blue, a squad that have underperformed and underachieved this term have attempted to make a positive impression.

Caixinha is well-travelled but has limited experience of his latest home from home after he quit Al-Gharafa and agreed a three-year deal to replace Mark Warburton.

Read more: Kenny Miller: It could be that I have only got six weeks left at Rangers

The position of Rangers manager is one that can be compared to few clubs in the world and it will naturally take time for the 46-year-old to get up to speed in Scotland. To aid the transition, he is seeking to add some local knowledge to his staff.

Caixinha has held talks with a handful of former Rangers players –including the likes of Barry Ferguson and Alex Rae – regarding a coaching position in recent days.

John Brown is another candidate for a place on Caixinha’s backroom team and the nine-in-a-row hero knows the new Ibrox boss has to learn on the job as he looks to ensure Rangers end a frustrating campaign on a high note.

“He’s had plenty of interviews so he wants to get everything right,” he said. “Hopefully, whoever he does pick can give him the kind of information he needs on days like Saturday. He’ll have noticed how teams raise their game against Rangers - especially when you look at Motherwell shipping five goals against Dundee, four against Ross County and seven against Aberdeen. So it tells him that every team raises their game against Rangers.

“If you look back to Paul Le Guen he didn’t have a Scotsman in his camp and ultimately he didn’t last very long. So it’s crucial he gets somebody who knows the Scottish scene and who can tell him that every game is a cup final. That’s my experience, speaking to guys like Richard Gough or Walter Smith.

“On Saturday I watched a Motherwell side playing with so much aggression but also playing with good quality on the counter attack, causing Rangers all sorts of problems. Where has that been the rest of the season? Every game against Motherwell this season has been a difficult one for us. I think he needs someone who can keep him right on the way the game is played here.”

Caixinha may have arrived at Ibrox as a relative unknown but he has wasted little time in attempting to win over the doubters within a discerning and demanding fan base.

His messages have been well received by supporters, while the Gers squad are putting in the hours in a bid to turn his philosophy into Premiership points.

Read more: Kenny Miller: It could be that I have only got six weeks left at Rangers

The draw with Motherwell at the weekend was a setback to their aspirations of finishing second this season, but the bigger picture is more important than the snapshot for Rangers.

“He’s obviously just come in and will be assessing his squad between now and the end of the season,” Brown said. “I think he’ll have a rough idea where he needs to work on and hopefully the board can find the finance to make that happen for him.

“He’s no different from a Graeme Souness or a Walter Smith. The first thing that they spoke about was, if you are not fit then you can’t achieve anything. I never trained harder under any other manager than I did under Graeme and Walter. They got us fit.

“You are talking about a different level of player from what we’ve got now so it’s going to take time to build it up again but I think he has a winning mentality. He now needs to get the right players in who also have that attitude because he’s going to have to go to places like Pittodrie, Ross County and Inverness when it might me a miserable night.

“You need the mentality to go up there with a smile on your face and be up for the battle. Graeme Souness was a top, top player who won so many trophies but he always spoke about the need to win the battle first.”

The coming weeks give Caixinha a chance to lay the foundations for next term but it is in the summer where the rebuilding work will really step up.

Chairman Dave King has reaffirmed his commitment that his manager will get funds to spend ahead of another crack at the Premiership and potential Europa League campaign. And Brown reckons Rangers could reap the rewards of shopping local as Caixinha attempts to bolster his ranks during a short shutdown this term.

“If you are looking at good players, good players cost money,” he said. “He might know the market, he might have good contacts to bring players in.

“There are a few decent younger guys up here in the Premiership that might not be a bad thing to have a look at. There are good players in Scotland that know the league and know how to go about it.”