The Ibrox club officially confirmed Beale’s departure on Sunday evening, marking the end of his tenure as the former QPR boss. As the search for a new head coach commences, two Rangers’ icons wasted no time in sharing their immediate thoughts on this development.
Kris Boyd was quick to voice his opinion on Beale’s departure in an interview with Sky Sports. He did not hold back, particularly when discussing the club’s summer recruitment efforts. Boyd expressed, “I don’t think there was an option; you can’t lose three of your opening league games.”
He continued, “The fans had enough; I don’t think they had seen improvement. It comes down to recruitment again. Of the summer arrivals, I think Jack Butland is the only one who can keep his head held high because the rest have been nowhere near it. It’s going to have to improve. Beale pays the price of poor recruitment and poor performance and results on the pitch.”
Boyd also highlighted the unique challenges of managing a club like Rangers, stating, “I get the fact it takes time to settle, but in Glasgow, you don’t get that luxury. If you’re on the other side of the city and Celtic start well, you’re going to be under pressure. A lot of fans had made up their minds already that Michael Beale wasn’t the man to lead Rangers Football Club forward.”
He concluded, “I said it at the time; by all reports, he is a very good coach, and I still say that. But in terms of management, managing Glasgow Rangers is entirely different, and Michael Beale has found that out. If you are a coach and then you’re having to manage the players, you can take your eye off the ball on the pitch because there’s no doubt looking at it that Rangers have been all over the place.”
Another former Rangers striker, Kenny Miller, also shared his perspective in an interview with Sky Sports. Miller remarked, “I think Michael will understand it, there’s no doubt about it. When you break the league form down, in particular with three defeats in the first seven games, that’s not sustainable for any kind of challenge towards the league title.”
He expressed his disappointment and empathy for Beale, saying, “I’m sure he’ll be disappointed. I’m disappointed because you want to see managers succeed; you don’t want to see anybody lose their job, particularly people you’ve got to know a little bit. The fans voiced their views, and I think when that happens, and the extent of it, it was always going to be tough for Michael to turn that around and get the belief and confidence of the fans back on his side. The result at the weekend was the final nail in the coffin.”