Michael Beale might lack managerial experience but one of Rangers’ greats was in a similar position when he stepped into the Ibrox hotseat. Kirk Broadfoot played under Walter Smith in his second spell at Rangers, but when he first took over from Graeme Souness he was a highly-rated assistant and coach who was thrust into the firing line. Sound familiar?
Smith stepped out of the shadows and went on to etch himself into the club’s history as a true Ibrox legend over his two stints at Rangers. Beale has only had six months at Queens Park Rangers but, like Smith, he has already coached at Rangers and been part of Steven Gerrard’s title-winning team.
Broadfoot is well aware that knowing the club and the demands can help the new Rangers boss to hit the ground running. The former Rangers defender said: “People might question Michael’s lack of frontline managerial experience in his own right but he has loads of coaching experience.
“It is a route that has proved successful for Rangers in the past. Walter Smith didn’t have a lot of managerial experience before he took over from Graeme Souness but he was vastly experienced as a coach and highly respected. I’ve heard a lot about Michael and people also talk about him very highly.
“There are probably similarities with Walter in the position Michael now finds himself in. I know Michael left Rangers first but he has also been at the club, under Steven Gerrard, and he knows the size and demands of being at Rangers.
“Michael, by all accounts, was a key part of Gerrard’s coaching team and would have played a huge part in Rangers winning the league. So Michael will have been part of a team that got over the line, in terms of the title, so that experience in itself will be vital to him and Rangers. Also, a lot of the players and staff are still at Ibrox so that should also help the new manager to find his feet. So I don’t see his lack of frontline managerial experience as an issue.”
Broadfoot also reckons Beale’s coaching reputation speaks for itself. He was a key figure under Gerrard and also points to the fact that he recently turned down the chance to manage in the Premier League with Wolves. Broadfoot knows Rangers, however, is a far different proposition.
The Open Goal Broomhill star claimed: “A lot of people find that, when you go and play with either Rangers or Celtic they don’t realise how big clubs they are until you have been there. They are special places to play, especially when you are challenging for trophies every season.
“It is hard to replicate that in England unless you are at one of the very top clubs. Without being disrespectful to Wolves I can’t really see them challenging.
“Yes, they are a big club but he would have been walking into a relegation battle. Rangers are bigger, Michael knows the club and those are lures that have taken him back to Ibrox.”
That pressure will also be there from the off as Rangers look to hunt Celtic down in the title race. Broadfoot accepts there is little room for error if the Light Blues are to get back into the Championship charge.
Broadfoot admitted: “Let’s not be kidded, they can’t afford any more slip-ups. Anymore slip ups and the league is probably away, especially if Celtic pull further in front. Rangers need to hit the ground running after the break.
“The be all and end all at Rangers is that you need to win games. A draw at times can be a disaster. Rangers need to go on a strong run from now to the end of the season because I don’t see Celtic slipping up too often. Michael has decided to take that challenge head on tells you all you need to know.”
“The fact Rangers have gone for someone who knows the club and the players means they are looking for a quick transition. The new manager will need a settling in period like all managers do. Giovanni van Bronckhorst knew the club but he didn’t know the players when he came in.
“Some players maybe didn’t play as much under the last manager and will be pleased to see somebody else come in. The fact that Michael was there when Rangers won the league you would expect it would give most of the players a lift.”
Rangers failed to fire on all cylinders under Van Bronckhorst in the final few months and that led to change. Some of their top players have looked a shadow of themselves but Broadfoot believes Beale can get the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent back into top gear.
“Morelos and Kent are the big two for me,” he insisted. “In fairness, they haven’t really been at it the way we know they can be. That is not me being critical of them, I am just highlighting how good they can be. “When they are at the top of their game they are unplayable.
“If he can get those two firing then they can win games on their own and at Rangers that is what it is all about. Beale has worked with them before and seen them at their best. “He will know their characters and how to get the best out of them. You would assume they will also be happy to see Michael coming in.”
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