The gates swung open, giving fresh hope for a new season as Rangers boss Michael Beale returned to work.
It's been less than five weeks since the curtain came down on the last campaign but Beale was back at Auchenhowie as he took to Instagram to post a picture of him driving into his workplace with the simple message 'good to be back'.
The Englishman said in an interview earlier this month that you'll be able to look him up and down and know whether or not he's happy with Rangers' summer window. As he took his photo from inside his car, we couldn't make that judgment. And it's still early days. But time is marching with four players recruited so far and given he said he would have to carry out one of the club's biggest ever rebuilds then it's fair to say there is still a fair few new recruits needed to halt Treble-winning rivals Celtic. Here, Record Sport looks at some of the things he might look to address on his return.
Fitness First
It’s just 33 days since the final whistle blew in Paisley to bring a miserable campaign for Rangers to an end. The majority of the Light Blues squad will return to the training ground on Friday – the first day of preparations for the 2023/24 season. Pre-season is of course such a crucial part for the players to build solid fitness foundations for the rigours of the campaign ahead with Beale hoping to have plenty of extra games in Europe, whether that be the Champions League or Europa League.
And last week saw the return of Dr Mark Waller as director of medical and performance. The 65-year-old is someone Beale knows well from his first spell at the club alongside Steven Gerrard before the medic left for Leicester City last season. Waller’s input will surely be key. Some fans questioned the pre-season training regime under Giovanni van Bronckhorst after a catalogue of injuries contributed to their season unravelling and Beale will be hoping Waller can help improve that, as well as ensuring they can match their rivals for energy.
A word in Todd’s ear?
This one very much depends on where he stands on Todd Cantwell becoming embroiled in a very public social media debate. Responding to our friends over at Football Scotland inviting Twitter users to name their favourite pundit, the Rangers star responded by saying it definitely isn’t Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton. Tongue in cheek perhaps and it prompted a response from Sutton who couldn’t resists the chance to aim a little dig at the former Norwich City man. Beale himself has had his own issues with the pundit, branding him a “comedy act” and Chelsea’s “worst ever player” but he might prefer Cantwell to steer clear of any public row. Fans appear split, some lapping up Cantwell taking Sutton to task while others preferring the Englishman does his talking on the pitch.
Keen Kemar
Kemar Roofe sent a message on social media saying he “can’t wait” for pre-season and if there is one player who needs a big summer then it’s the former Anderlecht man. There is no doubt he could be a big asset to Beale – especially given the loss of firepower and the hunt for strikers – but questions persist over his fitness.
He had a poor injury record before he arrived and it’s been the same during his time in Govan. With a year left on his Ibrox deal, he needs a big pre-season and is making all the right noises but the fans have been here before and can’t afford to be let down again by him being on the treatment table. Beale will be watching him closely.
Striker search
This will be top of Beale’s list. After the departure of both Alfredo Morelos, Rangers need to find a player who can match the Colombian in his Rangers prime. Cremonese’s Cyriel Dessers and Feyenoord frontman Danilo are the two at top of the shopping list. But which one will he get and how long will it take? Ideally, Beale wants to get his work done early and getting key players integrated could be crucial given it’s such a big rebuild. He’ll want to hit the ground running.
Anyone for the exit door?
So much of the focus has been on those coming in but there is also the potential for departures. Glen Kamara is one Beale has admitted himself could be sold.
But there are others such as Scott Wright, Jon McLaughlin, Antonio Colak and possibly even Ben Davies, if they can recoup some of the £4million they paid Liverpool for him. Has his mind been made up on some of these, or is pre-season a chance for them to show they can play a big part next season? We’ll soon find out.
Fixtures
By the time the players are getting reacquainted at Auchenhowie on Friday morning, they will likely know the Scottish Premiership fixture list for season 2023/24 which is due to be released at 9am. And while that is outwith their hands, it will tell them how tough a start they face and could be crucial in how the league campaign goes. Rangers need to build early momentum to mount a serious challenge to Celtic and a tough away day opener is the last thing they need. It’s always an exciting time and the serious work can begin of building toward the first game of Beale’s first full season.
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