Michael Beale sack verdict issued as Rangers predicted to lift Viaplay Cup – Neil Lennon
Rangers will be “too strong” for their rivals and lift the League Cup but there is “no question” Michael Beale has to win the trophy to survive, according to Neil Lennon.
The former Celtic boss told PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show on 25 September that the Light Blues will also qualify from their group in Europe, with the win over Real Betis in midweek was a “really good start” for the Gers, and victories home and away against Aras Limassol expected to follow.
With a Viaplay Cup quarter final this week against Livingston Lennon says everyone now expects Rangers “should” lift the trophy with Celtic out, even though it is “never a guarantee”, but it would be a “real saving grace” for the under-fire Ibrox boss to do so amid doubts over his job.
With Tam McManus and Alan Rough both picking Hibernian to win the cup and Peter Martin going for St Mirren, Lennon said (40m 45s): “Are we picking a team without Rangers being in it? You don’t think Rangers will win it? I do. I think they’ll be too strong for the rest.”
He later added on Europe (43m): “They’ve got Sparta Prague and Limassol as well as Betis so they’ve got off to a great start. I expect them to beat Limassol home and away so that would give them nine points. I think they will get out of the group. I think that was a really good start for them beating the top team in the group.”
Asked if Beale has to win the cup Lennon said: “He does, yeah. No question. Where do you go from there? With no Celtic everybody’s looking at Rangers saying ‘you should win this’.
“Listen, it’s never a guarantee but it would be a real saving grace for Michael to go [and] win a trophy and build from there. Whether he gets that opportunity or not who knows.”
Redemption?
With the final to be held at Hampden on 17 December, a fortnight before the next Old Firm derby on 30 December, there is scope for Beale to fight on and get his hands on some silverware.
Failure to do so surely puts heavy doubt on his chances to even attempt to register only a second victory against Celtic, while even the trophy win may not be enough to save him if he comes up short in the final fixture of 2023 soon after.
With fans making their feelings clear after the 1-0 win over Motherwell on Sunday it is going to take a major improvements in performances to dampen such reactions.
But the board are probably not going to be sparked into action if he keeps scraping wins, even if they are unconvincing.
Right now it feels like a very tall order for Beale to put together a run that takes him into the New Year with his job in tact, given the injuries that are now mounting on top of the struggles his side was already going through.
If he manages to keep it together and ticks two major boxes to close out the year, in lifting a trophy and getting a derby win that has something riding on it, then maybe these struggles will be looked back on in future with wonder, but it feels like it will be some achievement from this point.
In other Rangers news, a star man has now been tipped for a Premier League departure meaning the club can’t let an unhappy player walk first.