After Saturday’s victory over St. Johnstone, Rangers defender Ben Davies said the team was “100%” behind Michael Beale, and his outstanding individual performance on the field definitely supported that claim.
The Ibrox chiefs were reportedly “ready to stand behind” Beale for the time being after the Gers manager suffered defeats to Celtic and PSV Eindhoven before the international break, according to the Daily Record on September 6.
According to Keith Jackson of the Daily Record, Bennett “will resist calls” to oust the under-fire Gers manager “despite the outpouring of fan fury” following the 1-0 loss to Celtic on September 3, but Beale will have to “deliver an immediate upturn in results,” according to a report posted on the paper’s website on September 6.
The rumors that Ibrox officials had approached former Chelsea and Brighton coach Graham Potter about replacing Beale [The Sun, 13 September] and that Birmingham coach John Eustace had also been mentioned [Daily Mail, 6 September] will not have helped these claims.
With a convincing 2-0 victory over St. Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, Beale and his team put such rumors to rest for the time being. Following the game, Davies explained what the players are doing to support Beale.
He is quoted by the Scottish Sun as saying, “I back the manager,” on September 17. “I have complete faith that he can lead us to a successful season this year. There is still much to be done.
“He only needs individuals to do well for him, like me and others. You have to win every game because this is the Rangers.
When you don’t, it’s important to buckle down, cooperate, and remain a unit.
“If you delve too deeply into what people are saying, you eventually fall down a rabbit hole and it impacts you.
“Blocking everything out and adopting somewhat of a siege mentality is the best course of action in that situation,” the speaker advised.
Indeed, Davies is 100 percent correct. Each of Beale’s key players and leaders would unquestionably need to step up and carry the load if Rangers were to relieve themselves of external pressure.
The former Preston North End and Liverpool defender undoubtedly walked the walk and supported his claim against the Saints with a solid and effective defensive performance.
The 28-year-old senior player made a successful comeback to the lineup and demonstrated to Beale why he must serve as Goldson’s primary defensive partner for the foreseeable future.
Davies was destined to leave Ibrox during the summer transfer window, but he and Beale decided to keep him, and his most recent performance once again demonstrated what the team would have been missing if he had departed.
The former Liverpool center-back put on a straightforward performance and, like Goldson, rarely gave St. Johnstone’s attacks a chance to gain momentum. He won a staggering 12 of his 14 total duels and completed 85% of his passes while accumulating 120 touches, two clearances, one block, and was dribbled past zero times [SofaScore] during his Man of the Match performance.
The senior center-back may have saved Beale’s job, at least for the time being, but Rangers can always rely on Davies to make the salient contribution necessary to allay any worries at Ibrox.
