QPR player now fears genius manager Michael Beale exit for Rangers job
Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne has admitted that he is “nervous” that Michael Beale might be leaving to take charge of Rangers.
The frontrunner for the vacant manager’s position at Ibrox has been in charge at Loftus Road since the summer, and had the side top of the Championship before a poor recent run of form saw them fall to seventh heading into the World Cup break.
Centre-back Dunne has raved about the 42-year-old as a “genius” from their short time together, but is concerned about how the situation will turn out in London if the former assistant to Steven Gerrard now takes the top job in Glasgow.
He told Football Scotland on Friday (25 November): “I’d be lying if I said we weren’t nervous at the thought that he might be leaving us because we’ve all put a lot of effort into learning his culture and we finally feel kind of clear about how he wants us to perform.
“So to scrap that all of a sudden for something brand new would be really difficult. And because we really enjoy it with him, we’re doing well.”
Becoming reality?
Beale’s relationship with much of the Rangers squad has been cited as a primary factor in him being the preferred choice to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
So it is perhaps no surprise that Dunne, who has spent some of the season playing alongside former Ibrox defender Leon Balogun this season, would speak favourably about him.
He has widely been spoken of as a good coach, but the manager of Rangers is a major job, and despite a positive start to life at QPR the recent slump is a concern.
Bears fans may be somewhat reassured by hearing the positive assessment from Dunne, if Beale is to complete his return to Ibrox.
A speedy appointment would be beneficial now to take advantage of the World Cup break, if the decision has been made that he is the right man.
It seemed like just a matter of time when Beale emerged as the frontrunner during the week, with Van Bronckhorst gone since Monday (21 November), so doubts may be starting to creep in without definitive progress by late Friday.
Dunne seems to be considering it a possible reality now though, and if it is to be then the former assistant will have a big job on his hands as the man in charge.
In other Rangers news, time is running out for the Light Blues with the risk of a vacuum forming if the new man isn’t in by Monday.