Michael Beale sack talk emerges on live radio, Barry Ferguson blasts back at Rangers verdict
Barry Ferguson admits Rangers fans are already getting “itchy feet” over Michael Beale after Saturday’s opening-day defeat at Kilmarnock.
After signing nine new players since the end of last season, naming a number of them in his starting line-up and leaving out big names such as Ryan Jack and Todd Cantwell, Beale oversaw a 1-0 defeat away at Rugby Park to kick off the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season in the worst way possible.
Beale failed to do anything special last season after replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the manager and that loss in Ayrshire has already led to one Gers fan calling into a radio show and suggesting the English manager could be on his way out sooner rather than later.
Speaking on Go Radio, as quoted by the Daily Record on 7 August, the angry Rangers fan said: “I would suggest if Michael Beale doesn’t make the Champions League and loses to Celtic, he might not make it to Christmas. Because some fans are already restless with him…there’s a lack of a goals in the team, which is very worrying.”
The Record quoted Ferguson as replying: “This is the way it is. I knew what would happen here. There’s people starting to get itchy feet but that’s the way it is up here. It’s a wake-up call for some of the players. They will realise that they’re coming in for criticism but that’s the way it works at Rangers. You are demanded to win every game. It wasn’t good enough on Saturday.”
Not good enough
It’s no shock.
Beale was a lazy appointment by Ross Wilson, who didn’t bother doing much groundwork when the van Bronckhorst spell went sour.
Beale hung over the Dutchman like the grim reaper and eventually replaced him, coming back to Ibrox to cozy up to his chum Wilson, who eventually ended up leaving Ibrox anyway.
Wilson’s departure coupled with some ruthless moves made by John Bennett since he became chairman means that we doubt Beale will last long if things do continue to go south.
It’s inexcusable for Rangers to lose any match in the Scottish Premiership.
It’s especially inexcusable for them to lose in that manner against a team they are far superior too.
Who cares about the pitch? We should be beating teams like Killie no matter what the circumstances are. Heck, even our B team should.
Beale spent a lot of money this summer and if his signings fail, we fail to make the Champions League group stages and Celtic start to pull away by October, he could be gone by the time the second international break comes around.
In other Rangers news, Champions League qualification is a must for the Gers as a 95 per cent Old Firm statistic is revealed.