MICHAEL BEALE returned to Ibrox with the intention of finding the Glen Kamara of old. Two months in, he could have uncovered a new version of the midfielder.
On the day that he conducted his first media conference as Rangers manager, Beale addressed the futures of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos and their respective contract situations were an obvious talking point on that occasion. The other player he spoke about was Kamara.
He was a mainstay of the team that Beale built alongside Steven Gerrard, an integral component of a side that were invincible during the 55 campaign and that made such an impression in the Europa League. Few players performed their role as consistently as the quiet man who lets his football do the talking.
It was a mystery, then, why Kamara's fortunes would fade. Rather than be one of the first names on the team-sheet, he became something of a peripheral figure at times under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale referenced that fact as a reason why Kamara wasn't enjoying his football in the first half of the campaign.
The pair were reunited in early December and Kamara finds himself working under a manager who had a hand in signing him and who trusts him. He also has a coach, in former Arsenal mentor Neil Banfield, that understands him personally and professionally.
The message from Beale that afternoon was simple yet definitive. "If we can’t help then I’m not sure anyone can, in a Rangers shirt," he said as he vowed that Kamara would be a big player for the club in the years to come.
That process of rediscovering the form and feeling of years gone by has been something of a slow-burner for Beale thus far. In the case of Kamara, the first real glimmers were evident on Saturday as Rangers continued their unbeaten run since Beale's appointment.
All eyes were on Todd Cantwell as the midfielder made his debut at Ibrox. Yet it was Kamara who had the most profound impact as a composed performance was topped off with the goal that made sure of the win after James Tavernier's first half penalty had opened the scoring.
Given the options that Beale has available from middle to front, it was no surprise that he faced some difficult decisions. His call to pair Kamara and Ryan Jack - who is a doubt for the trip to Tynecastle with a shin injury sustained in the flashpoint with Nicky Clark - a line further back paid dividends, though, and the instructions that Beale has given the Finnish internationalist have clearly started to resonate.
A pinpoint pass that sliced open St Johnstone and should have been rewarded with an assist was highlighted, as was the 'great goal' as he showed a rarely seen class in the box to round off a neat move involving Cantwell and Morelos. Beale described it as 'like a new Glen Kamara' but there was a warning that 'he's going to need to keep that up' as he demanded more from his team as a collective.
"I’ll take it," Kamara said with a smile when Beale's comments were put to him in the aftermath of the 2-0 victory. "I’ve had him here before, so I know what he wants from us as players and hopefully I can take that onto the pitch.”
That knowledge of Beale, and vice versa in each case, is something that several players have spoken about in the weeks since the Englishman returned to Ibrox and was appointed as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's successor. The time at Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers has shaped Beale as a boss but his coaching methods are familiar to those who he worked with previously.
Kamara was recruited from Dundee four years ago this month to fulfil a specific role in the Rangers midfield. His form uncharacteristically fluctuated for a prolonged period earlier this term but Saturday's accomplished showing could be the platform that he needs to move through the gears and the levels once again.
“I hope so," Kamara said when asked if his relationship with Beale could bring out the best in him. "He brought me here and has definitely helped me a lot in my career.
"I’m hoping I can repay him by going onto the pitch and playing well. He’s a really good coach on the training field and gives confidence to myself.”
It would be understandable if Kamara's self-belief had suffered a blow or two during the first half of the season. He was not the only one who looked a shadow of their former selves as Rangers lost ground in the Premiership and endured rather than enjoyed their Champions League campaign.
Beale has sought to address that morale issue in recent weeks. While Rangers have been heading in the right direction, it has been steady rather than spectacular as nine wins and an Old Firm draw have been secured in circumstances that have been trying for several reasons.
The Ibrox boss lamented areas of the performance at the weekend and he is still searching for more fluidity and a clinical edge in the final third. Kamara is not the obvious candidate to provide those qualities but a collective effort is required if Beale is to be performance happy and result happy.
“I used to be a striker as a kid," Kamara said. "I feel that getting up the pitch a little bit more will help and getting into those kind of positions will allow me to get more chances.
“He’s looking for a bit of creativity from everywhere, not just me. He wants it from the full-backs, the defenders, whenever we have the chance to score we have to take our chances really."
In time, Rangers will find the necessary improvements as a result of the Beale blueprint. The addition of new faces will also play a part, and so will the return of those who have spent more time in the treatment room than the dressing room this season.
The goals that Tavernier - as he beat keeper Remi Matthews with a well-struck penalty - and Kamara netted got the two biggest cheers of the afternoon at Ibrox. The other was reserved for Ianis Hagi as he made an emotional comeback.
“It’s been a tough 12 months for him and we’re all happy to see him back," Kamara said. "With the kind of quality he’s got, we can’t wait to have him back playing.
“He’s a creative player and that’s something we have definitely missed in the midfield. Hopefully he can add some goals and creativity to the team.”
There will be no pressure placed on Hagi to make a serious, sustained impact on the side in what remains of this season. The same cannot be said of Cantwell, though, after he became the first arrival of the transfer window last week and completed his move from Norwich City.
Beale was naturally and rightly pleased with his debut and expressed a hope that supporters see Cantwell as the 'right fit'. He didn't reference a move for Nicolas Raskin, the Standard Liege midfielder, directly but admitted his desire to 'add another midfielder to the squad who is powerful and can run.'
That role is not the one that Cantwell has been brought in to operate in. His influence will come further up the field and the first days of his Rangers career - comprising of a couple of training sessions and 63 minutes of action - have seen him make a positive impression.
“I thought he was good," Kamara said. "He played well. It’s all new, coming to a new team and he hasn’t trained much with us but he did well.
“It’s a massive jump [coming to Rangers]. I’m not too sure what the crowds are like in Norwich, but he’ll realise very soon that there are big expectations here. We’ve got to win every game and hopefully he’ll get used to that soon.”
The next challenge for Rangers will quickly come around. A trip to Tynecastle is a daunting one at any time but Beale's side will find a Jambos outfit that have established themselves as the best of the rest in the Premiership this term.
A 4-0 win there in October - earned thanks to an Antonio Colak brace and goals from Morelos and Ryan Kent - stands as a rare silver lining in a campaign of dark domestic clouds. It will act as inspiration for Rangers as the ambition of building momentum continues to be their main focus in terms of the Premiership.
“I think so," Kamara said when asked if the Hearts fixture would be the biggest test to date under Beale. "But every game is a test for us. Everyone already has their eyes on us to see how well we are doing. It will be a tough game for us.
“Hopefully we can keep on putting in the kind of performances that we’ve had against them over there."
