Kris Boyd predicts Michael Beale ‘Pressure’ amid Rangers title charge, Chris Sutton predicts close title race with Celtic
Kris Boyd has suggested Michael Beale could come under pressure at Rangers with a bad start to the season, while Chris Sutton continued his feud with the boss.
Speaking to the Daily Record (3 August), the Sky Sports pundits were asked to give their early predictions ahead of the start of the SPFL season this weekend.
And former Gers striker Boyd suggested that a slow start for both Brendan Rodgers or Beale could see them come under pressure early, and admitted that the Ibrox club have been handed a good start in the fixture list.
“The fixtures have been kind to Rangers at the start of the season and it gives them an opportunity,” he said.
“If they can go to win the games up until that Old Firm then you’re able to beat Celtic at home, then you never know.
“I don’t think it’ll take long for the pressure to build on Brendan Rogers if it doesn’t start well, but it will be the exact same for Michael Beale if it doesn’t start well for Rangers.”
Sutton then added his own predictions and backed the title race to be close, while taking a thinly veiled dig at the boss.
“Michael Beale will have learned from last season, he was quite bullish coming in and I think he ended the season with his tail between his legs,” he said.
“He will have learned from last season’s League Cup final and Scottish Cup final defeats to Celtic and his ‘lucky Ange’ comments.
“Rangers have some seriously good players and so do to Celtic so I think it’ll be close this season. The most important thing is Celtic start strongly as they don’t have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers while Rangers do.”
Point to prove
There’s no doubt that Beale started his Rangers tenure well before it fell away at the end of the season with some poor performances and results when there was little to play for, plus defeats to Celtic in big cup games.
But there has been a huge overhaul at Ibrox this summer and he has been backed to the hilt, meaning he has very few excuses if things don’t go the way he envisioned them to.
Celtic have had a tumultuous summer too, losing their manager and bringing back Rodgers who is far from popular with the fans.
But Sutton’s words about Beale could have a motivating effect on the changing room on the blue side of Glasgow, and it wouldn’t be the first time that the boss used that to take a dig back at the Chelsea flop.
Either way, this season should be far closer than the last two have been and Rangers have a great opportunity to win 56. Now lets do the talking on the pitch.
In other Rangers news, five debuts in our predicted XI to face Kilmarnock.