Michael Beale sack verdict shared as Rangers must ‘fall off a cliff’ before pulling trigger
Rangers’ form must “fall off a cliff” before the hierarchy pulls the trigger on Michael Beale, according to Pat Nevin.
Speaking to OLGB (28 September), the BBC Radio pundit and former Scotland international claimed Rangers should wait to depart with the manager until the league title is out of reach due to the vast influx of Beale-inspired signings at Ibrox this summer.
Nevin mooted the idea that Beale should depart if he fails in the League Cup as he notes the club needs to put their faith in a manager after frequent head coach changes in recent seasons.
Nevin said, as quoted by FootballScotland: “I would wait until it’s certain that Rangers aren’t winning the league. He’s changed the Rangers team completely and they don’t resemble the one from last season at all.
“People are saying he should go if Rangers blow it in the League Cup or have another bad European experience, but I think he needs a bit of time. If they fall off a cliff, then of course, have a look, but I’d wait until they fall way behind Celtic – and that hasn’t happened yet.
“It’s too soon for Rangers to make a rash decision. Rangers have changed managers a fair bit recently, and they need to trust someone at some point. It’s a new group of players and having a change so soon into the season could upset the players – especially those who have come in from overseas. They can feel adrift, and the next manager may not fancy them. That is problematic.”
Tough
Deciding when to depart with a manager can often be a tough decision, but Beale has done enough this season to keep his seat in the dugout.
Four consecutive victories and clean sheets in all competitions have kept the pressure at a distance for now, and their emphatic 4-0 League Cup triumph over Livingston on Wednesday (27 September) proved their best performance in that period, and perhaps of the season so far.
Nevin’s view that the new Rangers players may become “upset” by a Beale departure rings true. No player joins a club with a guarantee that the head coach will remain for the entire season, but the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers would have been convinced by Beale’s project before making the move to Glasgow.
The league is still in its very early stages, and Celtic are unlikely to remain unbeaten all season, so if the Gers can keep pace with Brendan Rodgers’ side, the hierarchy will presumably keep Beale on board.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton has questioned Steven Gerrard’s success at Ibrox in his latest rant.