Rangers: Michael Beale leaves Ibrox – where did it go wrong for Englishman?

Another autumn, another Rangers managerial vacancy.

Michael Beale has departed Ibrox 11 months on from his return to the club and a little less than two years after his predecessor, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, replaced Steven Gerrard.

As a coach, Beale helped Gerrard turn Rangers from the third best team in the top flight in 2018, to Scottish Premiership runners-up the following two years, and eventually champions in 2021. All while making strides in the Europa League.

It was a big decision for the Englishman to leave Queens Park Rangers, a few months after taking on his first managerial charge with the London club. But his attachment to Rangers was strong and initially, at least, he made an impact.

Thirteen of Beale’s first 14 games in charge ended in victory, with the other a draw against an Ange Postecoglou Celtic who looked seemingly unstoppable.

The consistency was back, but could Rangers take the next step and halt Celtic’s success as they had in 2021?

Celtic the Achilles heel

The answer was no. Celtic beat Rangers in the Viaplay Cup final and again in the Scottish Cup semi-final en route to winning a domestic treble.

Rangers ended the season marginally closer to the champions in the league than when Beale had taken over, but there was clearly work to be done to challenge their great rivals.

As Postecoglou left for Tottenham, another treble-winning manager returned in the shape of Brendan Rodgers, while top performers such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Liel Abada extended their contracts amid incremental squad changes.

Across the city, Rangers were going in a different direction. Out of contract players were released, including Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Ryan Kent and the club’s top European scorer Alfredo Morelos.

Antonio Colak, Glen Kamara and Fashion Sakala were sold and Ianis Hagi loaned out.

Rangers lost the opening derby of the season, handing early title initiative to Celtic

In came Jack Butland, Jose Cifuentes, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Kieran Dowell, Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima, Dujon Sterling and returning defender Leon Balogun.

When added to January captures Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin, Rangers had a complete starting line-up of new players.

But pre-season was mixed and an opening day loss at Kilmarnock immediately brought questions over whether Rangers had found the right blend.

A Champions League third qualifying round tie with Servette was negotiated with a degree of discomfort, setting up a re-match with PSV Eindhoven, who Van Bronckhorst’s Rangers had beaten over two legs at the same stage 12 months earlier.

Not only would the Dutch side exact revenge, they sent Rangers tumbling to a 7-3 aggregate loss.

An Old Firm defeat at Ibrox followed and though Rangers got back to winning ways, disgruntlement among the fans was audible following a narrow victory at home to Motherwell.

And Ibrox loss to Aberdeen on Saturday – a third in seven league games – and a seven-point deficit to Celtic sealed Beale’s fate.

Rangers haunted by summer recruitment

Like Van Bronckhorst, Beale struggled to find the right type of players with his sole summer window, with Dessers struggling to find the net and others such as Lammers not seeming to suit the rigours of Scottish domestic football.

“These guys have had opportunities,” former Rangers winger Neil McCann said of the new signings on Sportscene on Saturday. “They’re letting the manager down. That jersey weighs heavy and [never] more so than now when times are hard.

“Let’s not be kidded – Beale is under enormous pressure and every player in the dressing room will be aware they have done their bit to heap that pressure on themselves and the manager.”

A lack of defensive signings also confused supporters after the previous season’s heavy Champions League defeats against Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli and the regularity with which Celtic netted against them.

But while the league may once again be beyond Rangers, there are still avenues for the club to pursue.

Hearts await in the Viaplay Cup semi-finals in early November and the Ibrox side have already picked up a win over Real Betis in their Europa League group, with Aris Limassol in Cyprus next up on Thursday.

Experienced midfielder Steven Davis will lead an interim managerial team for that game and those that follow until Beale’s permanent replacement is found.

What kind of manager is required?

The Rangers team that secured the Premiership in 2021 and the Scottish Cup and a Europa League final appearance the following year was built on defensive proficiency and regular reliable scorers. Rangers have seemingly lost both.

Beale’s replacement has to find robustness and ruthlessness in both boxes and an ability to convert the superior possession they have in most domestic games into goals.

Currently, teams know how to frustrate Rangers – and how to hurt them.

And the elephant in the room is Celtic. Gerrard, eventually, worked out how to not only beat Celtic but expose their frailties for the rest of the league to see and exploit.

Two years on, Rangers are suffering from having Postecoglou do the same to them. So unless they appoint a manager that can succeed in Old Firm games, they are likely to remain in the same malaise.