Leanne Crichton claims that Michael Beale may be operating on borrowed time at Rangers because the Ibrox leadership has changed since he was appointed.
The BBC Sport analyst suggested on The Football Show on Go Radio on September 14 that the manager’s “days are numbered” due to the “quite a turnover” at the club since last November, while John Hartson questioned the prudence of hiring him in the first place.
The former Celtic striker criticized Beale’s record as an assistant, saying the short-lived QPR manager had accomplished “absolutely nothing in the game.” Crichton, however, warned that since important figures who helped bring Beale back to Glasgow have left, he may no longer have the same support.
(28m 15s) Hartson said: “Who I might be asking is who decided to fire [Giovanni] van Bronckhorst. Who decides to hire a manager like Michael Beale, who has accomplished nothing at all during his time in the league?
“In my opinion, those in positions of authority—not necessarily the manager, but those who selected Michael Beale for the position—must shoulder responsibility.”
“I don’t think they’re there now, are they?” Crichton said. There has been a lot of turnover… It may be still another factor in his passing.
“In actuality, it wasn’t the individuals who brought him to the team or who had witnessed the job he had done for Steven Gerrard. He is being handled much like a new appointee.
He has been given enough time because he has experience in the position; this is not his first season there. In addition, he spent three seasons playing for the football team under Steven Gerrard. He comprehends the situation and the pressure.
altered landscape
The final decision about Beale will be made by John Bennett, who has been on the Ibrox board since 2015 and will be extremely familiar with his work under Gerrard.
James Bisgrove joined the team in 2019, and while he was undoubtedly present when it was decided to reinstate the former assistant as the team’s starting goalkeeper last season, the CEO—then serving as head of marketing—might not have had much of an impact.
Since Beale’s controversial departure from Loftus Road at the end of the previous season, players like Douglas Park, Stewart Robertson, and, perhaps most importantly, Ross Wilson, have all moved on.
But in the end, whether the people who hired Beale are still in place or not, he will be evaluated on his performance, and his current results are insufficient.
On the basis of a person’s knowledge with the club alone, it is debatable if a position the size of Rangers was appropriate for them at such a young age in their senior management career.
Beale will survive the current turmoil regardless of whether he continues to win games, trophies, and Old Firm derbies, but if he fails to achieve all three, he probably won’t last the entire season.
