Michael Stewart seems to mock Rangers fans over ‘special’ Michael Beale appointment at Ibrox
Michael Beale’s appointment as Rangers manager marks the start of a new era at Ibrox but Michael Stewart has already had his say.
Beale, 42, returns to the Light Blues having left alongside Steven Gerrard to join Aston Villa in 2021 but this time he is the main man and not the number two.
That previous connection with the club is what is exciting many Rangers fans but Stewart believes all of that could quickly become irrelevant if he does not pick up wins quickly.
“Football is an incredibly fickle business and, undoubtedly, there will be QPR and Wolves fans feeling they are better off without Beale,” Stewart wrote in The Times.
“On the flip side many Rangers fans will happily ignore these issues and focus on the “special” connection their new manager has with their club as the reasons he has returned and remember fondly the improvements made while Beale was at their club first time around.
“In the hotbed of Scottish football, some thrive while others wilt. We will soon find out which category Beale falls into. One thing is for certain right now. Integrity and loyalty count for nothing in this business. Victories are the only currency that count. For Beale, those wins have to come quickly.”
Time will tell
Beale will be as aware as anybody that previous successes at Ibrox mean little when you return to Glasgow for a second spell in any capacity.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst was loved by the supporters after being very successful in Scotland with the Bears during his playing days but his inability to keep up with Ange Postecoglu and Celtic in the Premiership saw those feelings change.
Given how well the 42-year-old has done at Queens Park Rangers, with limited resources too, it may well prove to be an opposite reaction if he can replicate what he and Gerrard managed in Glasgow.
There could easily be concern that this is only Beale’s second managerial role but they appointed Gerrard having never managed a senior team before and that went well.
The return of domestic football prior to Christmas should see a big change in mentality around the whole club and that is absolutely paramount to the chances of success.
In other Rangers news, two Premier League sides are extensively watching this Auchenhwoie teenager who is yet to sign professional terms.