Michael Beale set for Rangers headache as Barry Ferguson shares his calculations
Former Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson claims that manager Michael Beale is set for squad selection issues following an influx of attacking talent at the club.
Writing in the Daily Record (30 June, pages 58-59), Rangers’ five-time league winner Ferguson said that Beale’s forward options will be well into double figures next season, which he fears may cause discontent among non-starters.
Rangers have been active in the transfer market this summer. After the announcement of Brighton forward Abdallah Sima yesterday and striker Sam Lammers from Atalanta, Beale’s side’s strong attacking depth may cause the manager more issues than it solves.
Ferguson wrote: “By my calculations, now Abdallah Sima has signed a loan deal from Brighton, Beale will have a total of 12 forward-thinking players all fighting for four positions in the starting XI.
“That could be 13 or even 14 if he gets his way in the ongoing negotiations for Cyriel Dessers and Danilo. If one or both of these strikers is brought in they’ll be lumped into a group of players that includes new boys Sima, Sam Lammers and Kieran Dowell as well as Kemar Roofe, Antonio Colak, Fashion Sakala, Tom Lawrence, Ianis Hagi, Rabbi Matondo, Scott Wright, Alex Lowry and Todd Cantwell.
“That means the manager will have his work cut out keeping all of them content when nine or ten of them can’t get in his team.”
Oversaturation or preparation?
A wide range of options can be a manager’s dream. But if discontent sets in among players who are not receiving, but are expecting, regular game time then a squad can become unsettled.
This is the problem Beale may have to deal with. Unless Rangers sanction some attacking outgoings, the manager may find it tough to keep all his forwards happy.
While squad oversaturation could be a real issue for Rangers next season, recruitment is certainly needed to replace the outgoing Alfredo Morelos who claimed 12 goals for himself last season and has been a reliable goalscorer at the Ibrox since 2017.
Meanwhile, Beale’s new attacking recruits are not exactly proven or prolific. In Lammers’ last two seasons, he has managed just 5 goals, while Sima’s record is only a slight improvement with 6.
These numbers combined do not even match Morelos’ total for just last season so it is understandable that Beale may need to replace the Colombian with multiple signings.
New additions will likely take time to settle in and it is unlikely that the existing and regular goalscorers, such as Colak and Sakala, will be ousted from the starting XI.
Furthermore, Rangers played 56 games last season and will likely play a similar amount in 2023/24, so a healthy squad depth should cover a heavy schedule as well as any injuries.
Preparation and options will be needed for Rangers next season, but balancing the need for options with potential player discontent may prove a challenge for Beale.
In other Rangers news, an official club partner gives a verdict on a potential £7million Feyenoord signing.