Charlie Nicholas names Allan McGregor as Michael Beale’s ‘biggest concern’ at Rangers
Charlie Nicholas has savaged Rangers star Allan McGregor and called for him to be dropped from Michael Beale’s team at Ibrox.
Beale took charge of his first league game against Hibernian last week and claimed a comeback 3-2 win, but 40-year-old McGregor was criticised for not doing better during the game with crosses.
Now Nicholas, writing in his Scottish Daily Express column (20 December) says the veteran shot stopper should have retired in the summer and believes he will be the “biggest concern” of the new manager for the rest of the season.
“It has been a good start for Michael Beale but once again it shows Rangers need a new No. 1. I keep going back to it, but if Allan McGregor can’t come for a cross in his six yard box then he shouldn’t be in the team,” he wrote.
“He should have retired in the summer. I don’t think Beale can disguise the team’s defensive frailties but he did change tactics and got a result in the second half to get the win against Hibs.
“His defence will remain the biggest concern. Rangers should have bought another No. 1.”
Harsh
McGregor is obviously past his best, as anyone would be at his age, but when last season ended there was nobody who felt that he should be calling time on his career.
His performances in the Europa League run to the final were exceptional, and even this season when he claimed the number one shirt back from Jon McLaughlin he was performing at a high level.
Having one bad game doesn’t warrant an early retirement, but Nicholas is right that the club need to be looking at bringing in a new number one goalkeeper in the next two transfer windows.
McLaughlin isn’t good enough for Rangers and McGregor is too old now, but for the next six months he is more than capable of holding the fort and allowing Rangers to really find the perfect person to take over.
Beale has issues to solve and goalkeeper is one of them, but Nicholas is too harsh and going too hard on this occasion to please his Celtic audience.
In other Rangers news, Barry Ferguson backs Beale pursuit of £6m ace who could be “hell of a player”