Michael Stewart suggests Rangers sacked Michael Beale because they didn’t sign Hearts star Lawrence Shankland
Michael Stewart has suggested Michael Beale lost his job at Rangers because he ignored Lawrence Shankland as a transfer target during the summer.
Speaking live on BBC Sportsound on Sunday (29 October), as the Gers took on Hearts under new boss Philippe Clement, the pundit praised the well-taken opener from the Jambos captain and claimed none of his Ibrox counterparts would have been able to follow suit.
Beale signed Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Danilo and Abdallah Sima in the summer but despite some talk of a move for Shankland never moved for him, then was sacked for his “very, very poor recruitment” according to Stewart.
Stewart said at half-time on Sunday (3.59pm): “Put it this way, if that [chance] is up the other end Rangers are not scoring, Dessers is not scoring that goal, plain and simple. Lawrence Shankland is the only striker on the park that scores that goal.
“It’s great for Hearts that Lawrence Shankland is the captain and the number nine in the maroon jersey, but there was a wee bit of chat during the summer about whether Rangers were going to be interested and it never really came to anything.
“It would appear that Michael Beale didn’t fancy him, and Michael Beale has ultimately paid the price with this job in large part down to very, very poor recruitment.
“That first half has just been a continuation of what it’s looked like all season that Dessers and Lammers in particular offer very little.”
Inconvenient truth
It has to be said that Sima has emerged as one of the most effective players in the team during the transition from Beale to Clement, while Danilo scored a 93rd-minute winner at Ibrox this weekend after his progress was stunted by a cheek bone fracture.
But Dessers has struggled to find the net with regularity, while Lammers has had an even tougher time making an impact for Rangers.
Shankland’s league scoring record may be down this term compared to last so far but his goal against the Light Blues, headed back across Jack Butland in the fifth minute after Ridvan Yilmaz was caught out, was high quality.
The 28-year-old’s all-round performance was far superior than any of the Gers forwards even allowing for Danilo’s late winner.
Some may sniff at the idea of signing players from lower down the SPFL but it is currently hard to argue that Dessers and Lammers were a better choice.
Clement revealed ahead of this game he has been familiar with Shankland prior to arriving at Ibrox thanks to the Jambos skipper’s time at Beerschot where the Gers boss started his own career.
And after a standout performance from the forward in front of the new Rangers manager it might be that he follows up where Beale didn’t in one of the upcoming windows.
In other Rangers news, another player with a better record than the current goalscoring options at Ibrox has revealed he was “really emotional” in being shipped out of the club against his will.