Michael Beale claims Champions League finance boost a “bonus” ahead of Servette clash
Michael Beale says he does not focus on the financial implications of Rangers’ qualification to the Champions League ahead of their third-round qualifying clash against Servette.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference (8 August), the boss claimed that outgoing payments will “even out” the large expenditure this summer while noting that the extra finances from playing Champions League football are certainly a “bonus”.
However, he suggested that the status of the club is his priority and hopes to improve on last season’s European campaign where the Gers crashed out with zero points in the group stages.
As spoken at a press conference ahead of their Servette match, Beale said: “Financially, this summer the money going out and the money coming in will even itself out, so it’s not like we haven’t gone to the well in terms of asking for loads of finances to rebuild the squad.
“We’ve been very clever in our selection and the way we’ve done it in terms of the players that have left, but financially for any club, the Champions League finances are the biggest finance you can get in club football.
“I think, if we do well, the next couple of years in Europe and with the new competition coming out as well. So there’s a load of bonuses there.
“But forget finances for a minute and think of the status of our club and what it means to our fans and players. There’s an achievement side of it that I focus on much more than the financial side. I’m the worst person to probably ask about those things.
“I’m just thinking about the ambition of the players and the staff and the fans to go and show a better face than what we did last year.”
Saying the right things
Beale is certainly saying the right things to help get the fans back on the side after a poor opener to their league campaign.
The Gers’ suffered a surprise defeat on their opening day in a 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock, with a lot of criticism aimed at Beale for his team selection.
However, he has the perfect chance to rectify his situation with a convincing win in the first leg of their qualifier against Servette on Wednesday (9 August). While Rangers are the favourites to progress to the next stage of the competition, fans will be fearful of an upset after their poor start.
While Rangers fans will be happy to hear Beale wax lyrical about the status and expectations of the club, the boss himself will no doubt be feeling the pressure from the hierarchy above him.
Progression to the Champions League group stages is essential. talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook claimed that Beale is a man under pressure this season.
Live on talkSPORT (7 August), Crook said: “I think Beale is a manager who has done an awful lot of talking for somebody who hasn’t actually achieved that much in the game so far. So I think there is a lot of pressure on Beale this season.”
Crook’s notion rings true here, and the best course of action for Beale now is to secure group-stage football. It will help bring fans back on side and help rebuild some lost trust between him and the hierarchy.
With Beale trying to balance the happiness of the whole club, he will hope for a change in fortunes.
In other Rangers news, a journalist has predicted a “mistake” in the Gers’ sale of Fashion Sakala.