Eight unwavering Rangers concerns about Michael Beale’s blue-sky thinking that surfaced among the stinging booing
The Ibrox manager and his players have faced fan ire despite their success, and there are many causes for the problem.
Being booed after a victory is a common occurrence in football, but for it to happen to a second Rangers manager in as many months is cause for rising concern.
Similar to Gio Van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale was forced to admit after the game that his team’s hard 1-0 victory over Motherwell on Sunday was marred by a number of errors. If the injury bug hadn’t interfered with Stuart Kettlewell’s plan to fill the Kevin Van Veen-sized hole in his strike force, his streak of unbeaten away games would probably still be standing.
But let’s get back to Rangers and more specifically, what is it about the Ibrox crowd that has fans letting their team have it after a win just days after an excellent Europa League victory over Real Betis? There was a noticeable sense of tension, and it won’t go away unless performances improve and the four-point deficit to Celtic is closed. Naturally, winning comes first, but punters are currently lacking in enjoyment when watching their team. Record Sport examines Beale’s brewing problems and his team’s campaign to win supporters at Ibrox.
Because he sat across from Gio’s predecessor for three and a half years in the Ibrox dugout, Beale is indelibly linked to him. The Londoner, who Gerrard referred to as his brain, was highly acknowledged for the composition of a team that romped to a title victory and made two trips to the last 16 of the Europa League. But long before he redesigned the formation over the summer, it was obvious that Beale’s view of himself as the main man was different from Gerrard’s. Although the personnel and philosophical approaches of the two sides are similar, they are not the same, and that doesn’t seem to be a good thing.
You don’t need to be an expert in tactics to understand that Beale’s summer spending involves switching from a winger-dependent system to one without. That would be acceptable if the new slim look worked, but it hasn’t. In addition, the victories over Betis and Motherwell saw a return to the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Abdallah Sima and Scott Wright taking a shot down the right and a now-injured Matondo on the left. The issue with going back to the type presently is that there aren’t enough wide men to make it happen. No legitimate wingers were sought for during the summer transfer window, and Ryan Kent has since left.
Sam Lammers’ outright admission that summer signings can no longer use any justifications demonstrates how serious the tension in the locker room is. Fans are aware that moments of inspiration won’t cut it at Ibrox, despite the fact that Lammers has appeared to be an unsuitable match for several roles. Cyriel Dessers has a bad habit of increasing the crowd’s blood pressure rather than the roof, and Michael Beale-backed player Jose Cifuentes has struggled with his passing in particular, aggravating fans.
Beale’s soundbites have slowed down lately, but he made a claim during his first press conference that he is now unable to retract. The Londoner’s lone guarantee—that the handbrake would be taken off—is now bearing fruit. Beale is quite correct about his car-themed certainty, but he would certainly provide a strong rebuttal to many of the growing grouchy Ibrox supporters. This season, Rangers have been difficult to watch at times, and their lack of the promised energy and swagger in their performance continues. The home team’s performance on Sunday was rudderless, and their supporters let them know it.
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