Pressure mounts on Michael Beale as unbeaten record for Rangers duo comes to an end
Michael Beale had slowly been looking as though he was clawing back some semblance of control at Rangers, having taken the Light Blues on a four-game unbeaten run.
But on Saturday (30 September) any foundations of stability that the Rangers boss was being held up by came crashing down as Beale’s side failed to deliver once again at Ibrox as Aberdeen ran out 3-1 winners in front of an irritated home crowd.
Although performances have been poor for several weeks, Beale has been able to cling to the Gers’ strong defensive record to get him and his team out of trouble. Before Saturday, Rangers had never lost when Connor Goldson and Ben Davies started together in defence [The Fourth Official, 23 September].
But that record was absolutely blown apart at the hands of Aberdeen, with Davies and Goldson helpless to stop the bombardment from the away side. Barry Robson’s side only had 29 per cent of possession but managed to register 14 shots, including six on Jack Butland’s goal. Rangers only hit the target five times [Fotmob].
Davies worked hard in defence, winning seven of his 10 aerial duels and two of his three ground duels while making two blocks and 14 ball recoveries. Goldson was quieter making seven recoveries but still won three ground duels and four clearances.
The backline always has far too much work to do in defence and for Butland to face an expected goals of 1.7 despite the opposition having so little of the ball demonstrates the entirety of the Light Blues problems in defence this season.
Given the amount of investment into the frontline this summer as Beale attempted to re-energise his attacking options with almost an entirely new set of forwards, it is inexcusable that the Rangers boss has been relying on his defenders to constantly bail his side out of trouble.
Despite having five big chances in the game, the Gers only forced Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos into four saves and he only had to deal with an expected goals of 1.27, much less than Butland’s 1.7 at the other end of the field.
Now that the defensive wall protecting Beale’s position at Ibrox has crumbled, it is almost impossible to see how the Rangers boss remains in his post for much longer. Davies and Goldson have kept the Light Blues’ away from immediate pressure, but it’s safe to say that they may have done all they can.
In other Rangers news, Daily Record journalist Gordon Parks has said that Beale has very little wiggle room