MICHAEL BEALE was hailed as the brains behind Steven Gerrard’s title win with Rangers.
The Liverpool icon led the club to their first Premiership win in a decade back in 2021, with his right-hand man Beale receiving his OWN share of plaudits for the success.
Michael Beale and Steven Gerrard teamed up at Ibrox[/caption]
He left Ibrox along with Gerrard just a few months into the following season.
But he was soon favourite to land the Rangers manager’s role himself over a year later when Ibrox chiefs sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
And he returned to the West End of Glasgow with his first team coach Harry Watling, but they lasted just 13 months in the dugout before being relieved of their duties.
And now Watling has PRAISED Beale regarding his reaction to being sacked by the board.
Speaking to Rangers Review, he said: “You understand the demands before you take the job. You understand the jeopardy of what it looks like to work at a club as big as Rangers.
Harry Watling became first team coach with Michael Beale[/caption]
“You have to win. Look, when you have the turnover of players that we did in that pre-season, it’s going to take time to click and we did everything on and off the pitch to try and make that happen.
“It was a case of introducing a lot of international players to Glasgow. Making sure that they’re happy with their accommodation, they’re happy with the timing of their partners coming over.
“All of these small nuances that people don’t think about. They’re picking their lives up and coming over, and then it’s about trying to get those relationships on the pitch forming.
“I thought the manager was really classy with how he handled that [summer]. He didn’t come out and moan about it and he still hasn’t to this date. He hasn’t said anything about how difficult that transition was because it wasn’t just on the pitch.
“A lot of people who were at the club when we arrived were not there towards the end of the season at board level and above.
“If you’re asking me directly, would I have liked more time? Of course, but we were well aware of the amount of players that were outgoing and the amount of players that were incoming.
“There were going to be a few bumps in the road, but we saw certain flashes in those blocks of games that made us think, ‘Once this does click, this is gonna be a really good football team and a team that the fans are excited to come and watch every week.”
Rangers are now under the temporary stewardship of Barry Ferguson, but Watling is hoping the former club captain stays as manager permanently.
He added: “I really hope Barry can turn it because he would be an incredible manager for Rangers and I know he’s got the interim title in front of the moment, but I’m really rooting for him.
Beale made a good start as manager of Rangers when he landed the job[/caption]
“He’s got proper people in the dugout with him which is great, and I just think we’ve got to get behind him and support him. Let’s hope that he can go unbeaten until the end of the season, put a run together and then throw his name in the hat to try and get it full-time.
“Because it’s about time that Rangers as a football club, and I say we because I mean it, that we get back on top again up there and start winning titles.”
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