It was interesting to see Michael Beale copying Celtic’s huddle on the pitch after the final whistle at Hampden last weekend. But the Rangers manager should be looking to take a leaf out of Ange Postecoglou’s book in far more meaningful ways.
There’s always a huge fall out after a derby defeat and it’s magnified a million times when it comes in a cup final – especially when one of the teams has been played off the pitch. Rangers went into the game in bullish mood, talking up their chances, firing barbs across the city and talking a good game. A few days later we have the Ibrox manager talking about battling ‘against the odds’ and facing a total rebuild in the summer.
Talk about a wild ride. Beale has spoken about standards at his club but I didn’t see those standards when the Rangers team refused to hang about to see Celtic go up and get their winners’ medals. I also didn’t see it when he held the group meeting on the Hampden pitch after the game, which was clearly a show for the supporters, when the inquest should have gone on behind closed doors.
