MONDAY’S Old Firm derby will be a novel experience for Michael Beale in many ways. The Rangers manager, appointed as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s replacement just over a month ago, will be taking charge of his first match against Celtic as his side look to close the nine-point gap with Ange Postecoglou’s league leaders. But that isn’t to say that Beale doesn’t know what to expect at Ibrox.
This isn’t the Englishman’s first rodeo. An important member of Steven Gerrard’s backroom staff, Beale is all too aware of the unique challenges posed by this fixture. There are echoes, too, of his first stint in Govan. Back then it was Brendan Rodgers’ all-conquering Celtic side that had to be eventually overhauled – and, after Rodgers departed for Leicester City and Neil Lennon was appointed, they eventually were.
Beale is facing a similar challenge to Gerrard. Earlier this week, he admitted that Celtic, who have won 18 out of 19 league matches this term, are currently playing at a ‘higher level’ than his own side but he is relishing the opportunity that Monday afternoon brings. Beale was at Ibrox when Ryan Jack scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Rodgers’ Celtic in December 2018 – Rangers’ first Old Firm victory in the league in years – and he is hoping to replicate certain aspects of that performance against Postecoglou’s team in Govan.
“I remember the emotion in the stadium that day and the way we played that day. That’s something you’d want to re-enact,” he said. “It wasn’t all about style. It was more about passion, energy and togetherness.
“It was a tight game and sometimes a game can be the making of a player. I think it was Ryan Jack’s first goal for Rangers. These games are for people to step up and make their Rangers or Celtic careers.
“These are the games that make up the highlights reel at the end of the season and the fans’ awards. They live long in the memory. The eyes of Europe are on this game so we’re fortunate just to be involved in it. It’s two good teams and mine has a bit more to prove than Celtic’s right now.
“We have knowledge of the fixture here. Rhythm, momentum, consistency of staff, style and winning games - all of that is in favour of Celtic and not ourselves. But that’s what makes it more intriguing. The opportunity is there for my team to bite back a little bit. If we don’t, we’ll have to take responsibility for that, dust ourselves down and move forward.
“Whether we win, lose or draw this game, we’re involved in three different competitions this season. In this one, the odds are stacked against us. Hence why I’m new in the job. But whatever happens, we have to play the other games and move forward as a team.”
He added: “Are we allowed to be the underdogs at Ibrox? Listen, Celtic are a very good team and they have a good rhythm. We’ve seen in Europe, like ourselves, that they’re vulnerable.
“They haven’t been vulnerable in the league but a year ago that team was Rangers. A year later, it’s Celtic. It shows you it can turn and it’s my job to turn it. Otherwise, we’re going to have it rubbed in our face and we don’t like that.”
Tomorrow’s encounter at Ibrox will be the first time that Beale and Postecoglou have locked horns as opposing managers but the Greek-Australian has been on the Rangers boss’ radar for quite some time. It was during his time as a coach at Anfield that Beale first heard of Postecoglou and he is not surprised that the former Australia manager has improved Celtic’s fortunes on the park.
“I had a mutual friend, a young Australian player and he asked if a coach could come over and spend some time with me,” he recalled. “He did, he came and spent some time at Liverpool. In between 2012 and 2015, at some point that guy came over and we spent a week together.
“He spoke about Ange and went on to work as one of his assistants too. When he came into the country I had a lot of respect for the journey he had been on and I knew he was a really good coach.
“I thought Celtic would improve. I thought me and Steven would stay one step ahead because we had the rhythm and the momentum at the time but we left and the momentum shifted and we are where we sit today.
“My job is to do what me and Steven did previously but hopefully a little bit quicker.”
However, Beale does not necessarily see Monday’s meeting at Ibrox as an opportunity to lay down a marker against his opposite number in the away dugout.
“I don’t know,” he said at a press conference on Friday. “We played a game without our manager when Ange was first in at Celtic and that went okay [Rangers won 1-0]. Me and Ange don’t go on the pitch – the biggest thing is we have to organise our teams with belief to go out there.
“They have a lot in their favour right now but they are coming to our stadium.
“Those things might play a little bit more if we were going there. The talking needs to stop and I’m delighted he is doing his media tomorrow so I will be out of the media for three or four days and we can get on with playing.
“Right now talking at Rangers is probably not the best thing – playing is. I am looking forward to the game. It is going to give me feedback on where individual players are at, where I’m at and where the club is at. I don’t expect it to be perfect but I’m optimistic.”
However, Beale does expect his players to go toe-to-toe with their rivals and look to seize the initiative, rather than sitting back to absorb pressure before striking on the counter-attack. He wants his players to be proactive and the Englishman points out that such an approach has paid off handsomely for Rangers in the not-so-distant past.
“We’ve got to hit them and see how they react,” he said. “We have to. In this game we have to go there and see how they react. If they react strongly and hit us back harder than we’ve hit them then that’s fine because we’ll take the feedback.
“We can’t [sit back] at home against anybody – we never did it against Porto, Benfica, Dortmund, Leipzig or Feyenoord. We never did it in the Old Firm when I was where previously so we can’t start now.
“It’s part of wearing this badge and coming into this building every day and representing this club. When we play we have to try to win. And at Ibrox we have to win in style and really take the game.
“We can’t change the fans and what the history and the culture of this club is. If we feel that’s dangerous right now then so be it. Let’s face that afterwards. If we can’t do that in this game it’s because they have overpowered us and, again, that will give us feedback in terms of what we’ve got to do.
“So we have to go and be the truest version of ourselves. Ange will be saying to his team and that’s why I think it’s going to be a good game.”
“This is the biggest test,” Beale added. “What you would say is it’s the greatest unknown in terms of where we are now. A lot of things are in their favour but it’s an even game in terms of two teams starting 0-0. One team will hopefully come off victorious and hopefully that team is in blue.”
