Michael Beale to Rangers move trigger for QRP horror movie amid ‘villain’ verdict
Michael Beale has been branded the “obvious villain” of the “horror movie” that QPR’s season turned into after his exit to Rangers.
The Ibrox boss swapped Loftus Road for a return to Glasgow on 28 November and has stabilised the ship after Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s reign, but the R’s went from seventh at the time, having been top when a Leon Balogun goal had defeated Wigan on 22 October, to 21st and a point outside the relegation zone under their third manager going into the weekend.
Beale’s exit was unpopular having said in the wake of rejecting a move to Premier League side Wolves shortly before, as per the i: “Integrity and loyalty are big things for me, and if they are the values you live by you have to be strong. I have been all-in here and I have asked other people to be all-in so I can’t be the first person to run away from the ship.”
The report from The i, looking at the collapse at QPR this year said: “Inevitably, given the club’s implosion, fingers of blame are being pointed accusingly in all directions.
“Mick Beale, the club’s first manager of the campaign, is the obvious villain in this particular horror movie, if by no means the only one.”
Clive Whittingham from the Loft For Words told the i: “They went for the bright, shiny, new age thing in Mick Beale who came in with all his bravado and brashness and chat, and I think he captivated the board, the director of football and the players a little bit.
“They put a lot of faith in him, let him bring in lots of players he’d worked with before but he was looking to get out almost from the moment he got in.”
Loss and gain
Beale has always maintained that it was only Rangers who could have tempted him away from his first managerial job.
At the time that sounded very convenient given it came just as the wheels were starting to come off in the Championship, and had he not lasted long at Ibrox he would have been left looking very foolish.
It was undoubtedly a risk for the club to go with Ross Wilson’s preferred candidate, given that his body of work as a number one was all of 22 games.
But, aside from the notable lack of a win against Celtic in three Old Firm derbies and counting, the Gers manager has improved things from his predecessor and made a positive impact.
Beating every other side he has faced was necessary if he was going to make his time in charge stretch to a second season, but with the Scottish Cup semi final coming up on 30 April he faces losing his last shot at silverware and a fourth time coming up short against Ange Postecoglou.
Given the first meeting on 2 January required an 88th minute Hoops equaliser and the visit to Parkhead on 8 April saw two defensive errors and a softly disallowed Alfredo Morelos goal before defeat there have been chances.
If Beale can finally get an Old Firm win, possibly retain the Scottish Cup, and head into a summer transfer window ready to properly compete next year he will be able to say he made the right move to take the job even despite the mess he left behind in West London.
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