Derek McInnes left ‘disappointed’ by Rangers managerial decision
Derek McInnes has shared his disappointment at seeing Michael Beale dismissed from the manager role at Rangers but conceded a lack of belief from the fans and the board led to the call.
The Kilmarnock boss claimed it was a shame to see Beale sacked due to his pride and excitement at being Rangers manager, but his four defeats to Celtic played a large part in the decision.
McInnes has been linked to the Rangers job himself [Aberdeen Live, 3 October], after his Kilmarnock side were one of the teams to beat Beale’s side earlier this season and contributed ultimately to his dismissal.
Speaking live on TNTSports ahead of Rangers’ Europa League clash on 5 October, McInnes stated: “I think there seemed to be a lack of belief from the supporters, and unfortunately for Michael that maybe transferred itself into the boardroom after Saturday’s result.
“It’s always disappointing when you see a manager losing his job because there’s no doubt he’s worked extremely hard. He was really honoured to take the job and he was really excited by it.
“It was only a couple of months ago where they [the club] spoke with so much optimism about the season ahead, but seven games in [this season] with eight defeats in his time, four of those crucially to Celtic.
“I think after the [PSV] Eindhoven game and the Celtic game that lack of belief and certainly confidence accelerated, certainly from the stands, and I think last Saturday’s game against Aberdeen just came to a head.”
McInnes is still in the running for the job
Everything the Kilmarnock boss says here is true. There was a lack of belief from the stands starting after the defeat to Celtic, which then spread to the board and ultimately made his dismissal inevitable after the poor start to the season.
McInnes, though, is thought to be one of those in line for the role, although a number of other options appear to have jumped ahead of him in the pecking order as the Ibrox club continues to deliberate over who will take over from Beale.
For Beale, there were too many factors stacking up against him for a turnaround at Ibrox to ever become a realistic possibility. Four losses to Celtic, eight in total during his time as Rangers boss, a poor transfer window where he was backed heavily, and a poor start to the season all eventually led to his dismissal.
It will now be a busy couple of weeks for the club as the process of hiring a new manager has already begun, with the likes of Frank Lampard, Kjeli Knudsen, Pascal Jansen and more in discussions ahead of a decision.
In other Rangers news, a Sky Sports journalist has shared the situation around one managerial target.