Michael Beale admits the current Rangers squad is in a different place mentally to where he left them a year ago.
When he departed the club for Aston Villa along with ex-gaffer Steven Gerrard, they were champions and top of the Premiership. Now, after Gio van Bronckhorst ’s exit, Gers are trailing Celtic by nine points in the table, with the Hoops going for two titles on the trot. Beale will take his official Ibrox bow as boss on Thursday night when Hibs’ visit to Govan restarts the league campaign. And the Englishman says he’ll only know if he’s got an immediate response from his players when they’re exposed to pain on the pitch.
Beale said: “I lived with these players when they were a slightly better version of what they are right now. That was down to a collective identity and a way of playing football. That gave us strength. The way we defended as a team, the amount of cohesion we had and the way we moved around the pitch gave the team a certain belief that we wouldn’t concede goals against really good teams in big games. That then gives you the confidence to score and create. I think they all just want to move in the right direction with clear guidance again. I’m going to give them that clarity in terms of how we are going to play.
“They’ve experienced a rollercoaster in terms of their manager leaving, a new manager coming in. Then falling away in the league, getting to the Europa League Final and winning a Scottish Cup. It’s been a lot, very quickly. It’s not the group I left, it’s fair to say that.
“We had lost just one game out of 52 in the league. So we were in a different place mentally at that time. I won’t really know where we’re at until we take the field on Thursday night. The proof is when you get out on the pitch and face some trauma. Then you see how they react I’ve seen good signs but when the games start I will find out very quickly.”
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