George Overhill

Sat 9 September 2023 21:10, UK

David Martindale won’t be offered the Rangers job if Michael Beale is sacked “as harsh as it sounds” despite doing a “really good job” at Livingston, says Leanne Crichton.

The BBC pundit said on The Go Radio Football Show, in a clip posted on Twitter by the station on 9 September, that the Livi boss fits well in West Lothian and may not be able to replicate his success elsewhere, in response to the suggestion from a caller that the 49-year-old would be a good option at Ibrox.

Former Gers defender Craig Moore suggested it was “disrespectful” to talk about any potential replacements when Beale is still in a job, but agreed that Martindale would likely need to make an intermediate step before he was in contention for a job the size of the Light Blues.

Crichton said: “I don’t think anybody is going to give Davie Martindale, as harsh as it sounds, an opportunity to go and coach at a higher level. That’s just my honest opinion.

“I don’t agree with that for Davie Martindale by the way, because I think he does a really good job at Livingston. But I just think, based on the job he does at Livi, that is a fit that goes well and I don’t know if he could go and replicate that at another club.”

Moore added: “Look, I think it’s disrespectful to talk about anybody until something were to happen, if it were to happen.

“But I agree with Leanne in regards to David Martindale. His next step in terms of another job, in my opinion, you make gradual steps, as a player or a manager.

“He’s done a wonderful job, continues to do a wonderful job at Livingston.”

Could do worse

In some ways it is disrespectful to Beale for the speculation over his job to be everywhere already, but on the other hand he was happy to appear at Ibrox last season to overshadow a 4-1 win over Aberdeen when Giovanni van Bronckhorst was under similar pressure, something the Dutchman wasn’t impressed by after he was sacked.

And it is inevitable when the new season has got off to the rough start that it has, with another Old Firm defeat on his record despite managerial change at Celtic, an opening day loss to Kilmarnock, and a thrashing by PSV Eindhoven to fail in Champions League group stage qualification.

It is very early in the season to be contemplating a managerial change, not least when nine new players have come in, but that is the nature of the situation in Glasgow.

Being four points behind Celtic in the SPFL table after as many games, despite the Hoops already dropping points themselves under Brendan Rodgers, isn’t going to fly.

So if there isn’t a sustained improvement then the contingency plans that appear to have already been put in motion will likely come into play.

Martindale’s time at Livingston has made him a popular figure, and at this stage he might be a name that a decent section of the fanbase wouldn’t mind given an opportunity.

But it would be a major gamble to turn to him when he has just the Livi job on his CV, and failure in a job like the Rangers role before he is ready could derail a promising managerial career.

In other Rangers news, it has been agreed that Beale will “probably lose his job” if he does one thing on return from the international break.