BBC pundit shares Michael Beale Rangers ‘problem’ after Champions League thrashing by PSV
Rangers manager Michael Beale needs to find his best starting XI as soon as possible, according to BBC pundit Steven Thompson.
The verdict comes after the club went crashing out of the Champions League after their qualifying play-off loss against PSV.
The Scottish side lost the second leg clash 5-1 in Eindhoven on Wednesday (30 August), losing the tie 7-3 on aggregate.
“A manager’s dream is a team that picks itself,” said Thompson, as quoted by BBC Sport. “Right now, Beale doesn’t know his best team and it’s going to take a while to work that out.
“It’s a lottery at the minute and it’s a problem he’s going to need to work out quickly because in the meantime, there are massive, massive games coming up.”
Pressure rising
There has been pressure on Beale to deliver from the moment he took on the Rangers job, and the manager would have been fully aware of that before saying yes to the role.
But that pressure has now risen following the club’s exit from the Champions League, particularly because it came in such painful fashion.
The Gers were still in the tie after the first leg, with the players putting in an impressive display in front of their own fans, scoring two fine goals in the 2-2 draw.
But they completely capitulated away from home, with PSV ruthless in the final third as they stormed into the Champions League group stages.
Unfortunately for Rangers, they have zero time to sit back and feel sorry for themselves, with Celtic coming to Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday (3 September).
It’s the first Old Firm derby of the season, and Beale could find himself in big trouble in the dugout if it goes very badly.
In other Rangers news, Gheorghe Hagi has shared a “twice as good” Ianis Hagi prediction after his Gers loan transfer.