Rangers' unmitigated disaster in the Champions League this season is 'no surprise' to Michael Beale given what his inherited squad had experienced at the top level.
The Light Blues were European fodder when the unwanted tag of the worst-ever group stage team in the competition's history became reality after conceding 22 times and scoring just twice. That horror run outdid Dinamo Zagreb's record by a few goals and handed a then Gio Van Bronckhorst team a Champions League nightmare on their return to Europe's top table with Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli the tormentors.
It came after a memorable run to the Europa League final which saw penalty-shootout heartbreak but new boss Beale believes there were factors that meant the Ibrox side couldn't be at their best in the top level. And the Englishman insists his team won't forget the difficult patch but that a plan to revive European hopes must be 'phased in'.
