Michael Beale fully understands that some members of the Ibrox squad will find his plans for a Rangers remedy hard to swallow. But as far as the Londoner is concerned, a spoonful of honesty always helps the medicine go down.
The Gers gaffer claimed his office has resembled a doctor’s surgery this week with a band of fringe men queuing up to request his prognosis for their Light Blues futures. So far, Beale has only performed only minor surgery on his squad having added just Todd Cantwell to his Ibrox potion. But there could be bigger moves afoot if his swoop for Standard Liege ace Nicolas Raskin goes through ahead of tonight’s deadline.
New York City loanee James Sands and academy kid Alex Lowry’s positions appear to be the ones most in doubt, with Beale hinting a Big Apple return for Sands could be on the cards as well as a potential loan for Lowry. Breaking bad news is always the toughest part of management but Beale feels he owes it to his players to be open about his desire to move on from the sticking-plaster approach to recruitment that has hampered Rangers in the past.
He said: “All the players that are in (the squad) have a part to play but if one or two things happen in the next 24 hours, it moves the goalposts for everyone. My office has been like a doctor’s office with one or two waiting to have a conversation.
“It’s all positive but obviously when new players come in it does move the goalposts and it does get competitive. That’s what I want.
“I felt at the weekend against St Johnstone that was the strongest squad I’ve had to pick from so far. Will anyone leave? Maybe one or two of the younger ones. That’s a possibility.
“Obviously we’ve got a couple of loan players in and we’ve got to make a decision on whether we want to retain them longer term. If we don’t maybe there will be an opportunity for them to go back as well.
“I want players who are going to be here for the long-term and can compete right now to make us stronger but also for the long-term too You are trying to get two for every position, three in goal and three up front.
“That gives you flexibility over the season. When injuries hit you should still be OK within the ways that you want to play the game.
“Honesty is always (important when you discuss your plans for the squad) because otherwise they’ll smell it. Players know if you’re not (honest).
“If you want people to be all in, relentless and to give their all, not just on the pitch but in the environment, the most important thing you can give them is honesty. If you don’t fancy them as a player, tell them.
“If you think they’re going to find it difficult to play, tell them. If they’re in a pecking order, tell them what the pecking order is. I think players are happier then in terms of processing. That clarity is important.”
The £4million Sands’ MLS owners are understood to be looking for to make his Ibrox move permanent looks to have killed any chance of the US international staying in Scotland. But Beale has made clear Lowry’s long-term prospects at Ibrox rest entirely on his own shoulders.
Highly-rated and undoubtedly talented, but there’s more than a few eyebrows being raised at the fact the Scotland Under-21 ace hasn’t made more of an impact on this team. Yes he’s had a couple of frustrating injuries and his boss is willing to cut the youngster some slack on the grounds he’s not yet out of his teens.
But Beale was quick to point out that first-team regular Malik Tillman, 20, is only 13 months Lowry’s senior. He said: “Everybody in this building is aware that, with the ball at his feet, Alex is really talented.
“But he’s got to tick a few other boxes. How do you tick them? You give him an opportunity on the park to tick them.
“I started him against Motherwell. I thought we saw the performance of a young boy with promise. He wasn’t 10 out of 10. He wasn’t 6 out of 10. He was somewhere in between.
“I was pleased with him. He had an injury afterwards. He has come back. I put him on at St Johnstone in a cup tie we had to win, at 1-0. And I took off Ryan Kent. If that’s not showing Alex Lowry that I believe in him…
“He knows clearly the areas I want him to work on. If he stays, he will be given opportunities. If the right loan was to come, [given] our relationship, you’re guaranteed to be here pre-season to fight to play next season.
“If in the interim, we find the right loan and you really fancy it, OK no problem.
“But go and play to come back here. Don’t go to play there. If you’re going to stay in, you need to continue fighting and showing every day. it’s hard to ask a young boy at 19 to be a main player in our team straight away.
“He has the potential to be a really exciting one in the future. Same with Malik Tillman. There is probably about 12 months in it. We all expect Malik to score and assist and lead every game. Well, he won’t be here for long if he does that.”
The question now seems to be not if Lowry will leave on loan, but where? If it’s in Scotland, Beale has a clear stipulation: “If he is going to stay here, he has to stay in the top league.
“It has to be with the right manager who is going to nurture him. But it doesn’t have to be here in Scotland. It can be further afield. It’s a matter of ‘Is it the right option?’
“If not, then the best option is for him to be here. It’s not like you’re hearing anything Alex hasn’t. We had this conversation at the start of the window.
“We had it in the middle of it. And we had it again this morning. So we’re all on the same page.”
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