Derek McInnes issues ‘perils of the job’ response as Kilmarnock boss is backed to replace Michael Beale at Rangers
Derek McInnes says it is “very harsh” for Michael Beale to have been sacked by Rangers so early in the season and he has “every sympathy” for him.
The Kilmarnock boss commented on the situation at Ibrox on 4 October, as per the Daily Record, also expressing his feelings for former Edinburgh City boss Alan Maybury, without giving a strong indication either way on his own prospects of taking over at Ibrox.
The former Gers midfielder, 52, has been tipped to get another chance at the manager’s job by pundits and journalists alike already, with the Scottish Sun’s Roger Hannah calling him a “definite live contender”, and now Livingston boss David Martindale has added his voice to backing him.
McInnes said: “My feeling on it is seven games into the season, it’s very harsh for managers to lose their jobs.
“I feel for anybody that loses their job, Alan Maybury lost his job at Edinburgh City as well, an ex-player of mine. So you’ve got every sympathy.
“There’s always different circumstances. It’s really early but it shows you the perils of the job.”
Fact of life
Managers all know that the overwhelming majority of them will not leave their jobs on their own terms, and that is just the way it works in football.
Beale himself seemed resigned to the fact that his time at Ibrox was up following the defeat to Aberdeen at the weekend, as his usual self-promotional energy was gone in post-match interviews.
It looks like the assumption that he was one bad result from the sack as soon as he was beaten by Celtic on 3 September has turned out to be accurate, and he will have seen it coming as well as anyone.
McInnes is increasingly being held up as the primary option from the Scottish contingent of options, and arguably has a much greater case than potential favourite Frank Lampard at this stage.
Philippe Clement, whose CV is possibly the strongest of those who are currently in the running, is now in talks for a job in Saudi Arabia [Foot Mercato, 4 October] which is sure to financially blow Rangers out of the water.
So while it doesn’t appear McInnes is in the forefront of minds at Ibrox right now that could soon change, but unless he gives an explicit indication one way or another it is impossible to say whether he would be willing to accept advances this time, having rejected the chance to leave Aberdeen previously.
In other Rangers news, a sensational return to the club by a former manager has now been mooted as a possibility.