Michael Beale out of bounds at Rangers as he’s wrongly involved in behind-the-scenes process
Rangers have confirmed that academy director Craig Mulholland has decided to leave the club at the end of the season which calls into question Michael Beale’s potential involvement.
Mulholland played a huge role in transforming the club’s youth set-up now able to compete amongst Europe’s elite after joining the Light Blues in 2003 – spending a whopping 20 years holding various roles at Ibrox before becoming Head of Academy in 2015
In a statement released by newly-appointed chief executive James Bisgrove [2 May], the club “will now lead a thorough process” to identify Mulholland’s replacement in order “to continue a wide-ranging transformation of all areas of the football club.”
The defeat to Celtic at Hampden on Sunday (30 April) has condemned the club to a disappointing trophy-less season and laid bare the continued failings and incompetence throughout the Rangers hierarch since the 55th title win with a whole hoard of players set to depart this summer.
Much change has already taken place behind-the-scenes Ibrox and will continue after vice-chairman Douglas Park’s departure, Bisgrove’s induction as club chief executive replacing the departed Stewart Robertson and also Ross Wilson leaving as the club’s sporting director to join Nottingham Forest.
Certainly, much change is desperately needed at Ibrox but calling a change in the club’s academy process is rather baffling after all the tremendous job Mulholland has produced throughout his tenure in Glasgow.
And this news calls into question Beale’s strange involvement in the academy process given he should be already be having one eye on trying to transform the Rangers fortunes on the pitch through what will be the club’s most pivotal transfer window in a long while.
What business does Beale have in this process?
It should be left to the much-changed Rangers board, not the coach. Managers come and go throughout the modern footballing age, most spending not more than three or four years in a job as we’ve seen and become accustomed to at Ibrox, while an academy director like Mulholland spends all of 20 years.
The Scottish Cup win and the run to the Europa League final last season, as well as the long unbeaten run when Beale came in, have only managed to paper over the learning cracks at Rangers for months now.
Both on and off the pitch, the club have fallen well behind Celtic which Beale will need to address this summer.
But, that’s just it, the former Queens Park Rangers boss should be focused on transforming matters on the pitch rather than off it as his long-term position really isn’t guaranteed after a sorry run of defeats to Old Firm rivals which comes as some form of embarrassment on the Light Blues fans’ part.
As many as a whopping 12 players could be set to leave the club this summer in what will be an eventful and intriguing few months at Ibrox, and that should be enough to take up Beale’s time rather than becoming embroiled in off-field matters which won’t stand the club in good stead to properly challenge Celtic next season.
Beale should certainly get his priorities straight.
n other Rangers news, the Light Blues were snubbed by a transfer target despite holding a meeting with the club.