Michael Beale has done ‘absolutely nothing’ in football as Rangers ‘days are numbered’ verdict issued by BBC pundits
Michael Beale may be living on borrowed time at Rangers because the hierarchy at Ibrox has changed in the time since he was appointed, according to Leanne Crichton.
The BBC Sport pundit said on The Football Show for Go Radio (14 September) that since there has been “quite a turnover” at the club since last November it could mean the manager’s “days are numbered”, as John Hartson questioned the wisdom of having appointed him in the first place.
The former Celtic striker dismissed Beale’s record as an assistant, claiming the brief QPR boss has done “absolutely nothing in the game”, but since key men who brought him back to Glasgow have gone he might not retain the same backing according to Crichton.
Hartson said (28m 15s): “Who I would possibly be questioning is who made the decision to sack [Giovanni] van Bronckhorst. Who makes the decision to bring in a manager like Michael Beale, who’s done nothing in the game, absolutely nothing in the game?
“For me it’s the people above that have to take responsibility, not necessarily the manager, the people who appointed Michael Beale.”
Crichton cut in: “I don’t think they’re there now are they? There’s been quite a turnover… which might be even more reason why his days are numbered.
“In reality it’s not the people that brought him to the club, it’s not the people who’d seen the work that he carried out under Steven Gerrard. He’s being treated as a kind of new appointment.
“He’s been given enough time because he’s not new in the job, it’s not his first season, he’s been there before. And he also had three seasons at the football club under Steven Gerrard. He gets it, he understands what the pressure is.”
Landscape change
Ultimately the man who will make the decision on Beale is John Bennett, who will be very familiar with his work under Gerrard since the now-Rangers chairman has been on the Ibrox board since 2015.
James Bisgrove only arrived at the club in 2019, and while he was obviously around last season when the decision was made to bring the former assistant back as the new number one the CEO might not have had major input when in the role of head of marketing.
The likes of Douglas Park, Stewart Robertson and, perhaps crucially, Ross Wilson, have all moved on in the time since Beale controversially left Loftus Road last term.
But ultimately whether those that appointed Beale are in situ or not he is going to be judged by results and currently those aren’t good enough.
It is arguably proving valid to question whether a job the size of Rangers was right for someone so early in their senior management career based on familiarity with the club alone.
Either way, win games, trophies and Old Firm derbies from this point on and Beale will come through the current turbulence, but fail to do all three and he likely won’t last the full campaign.
In other Rangers news, a player the club wanted to sign this summer has spoken out on the “tough” situation he’s been left in.