GUILTY VILLAN
Beale admits he could only watch on in agony as Gers were humbled by Hibs days after he left Ibrox to take up his new role in Birmingham
Guilt. That was Michael Beale’s over-riding feeling as he watched it unfold in front of his eyes.
He sat in front of a TV screen 300 miles away from Hampden.
But it hurt like he was still there in the Rangers dugout.
He felt like he SHOULD be there. And a big chunk of the club’s fans wanted him to be there.
Instead, Beale was easing into his new role in Birmingham.
Just 24 hours before, he’d stood beside Steven Gerrard in the Aston Villa technical area, leading the side to a 2- 0 debut win over Brighton in the Premier League.
In Glasgow, rookie coaches Davie McCallum and Brian Gilmour were in charge of Rangers as the team were humiliated by Hibs in the League Cup semi-final.
A f irst- hal f Mar tin Boyle hat-trick had the players Beale had left behind beleaguered and shell-shocked.
The question is, did his heart ever really leave Ibrox? Or more to the point, COULD he have stayed and allowed Gerrard to plough a lone furrow at Villa Park?
Last week, QPR’s director of football Les Ferdinand said Beale was offered the Rangers job then.
According to the man himself, that’s not strictly true.
For that Hibs game, new gaffer Gio van Bronckhorst was already in the stands on the verge of being appointed as Gerrard’s successor.
But what was Beale thinking? As he ref lected on the events of Sunday November 21, 2021, he said: “I didn’t feel great, to be honest.
“It’s your team, your players, your relationships. But that’s the way football works.
“Opportunities come and they’re taken for whatever reason.
“History is either kind to you or it’s not when you look back at the work you do.
“Back then I went under the radar a bit. It was Steven and Gary McAllister’s team. But, yeah, that wasn’t a nice game to watch.
“Could I have stayed on to take the team? It wasn’t discussed, it was above my head. I watched the game on TV and it was strange. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.
“Every time Hibs had an attack, it went in. You saw the emotion of the whole group that day.
“But it’s best left in the past.
“I felt guilty watching it, of course I did. I think that’s natural.
“Clubs evolve but it was that group’s destiny, in their eyes, to have done better in that game.
“Everyone has a lot of regrets around that day.”
So was Ferdinand right to say Beale was offered the job as gaffer when Gerrard left?
He said: “Listen, Gio took the job and did fantastically well. It’s not something worth talking about.
“It wasn’t the right moment for me to be manager of Rangers.
“I had to get experience of being a manager. I had to grow and learn.
“It would have been a risk for the club and the wrong moment for me as well.
“I went to work for Aston Villa, a fantastic club. Then I chose to go to QPR.
“Life comes at you quickly. I’ve always said if the job as Rangers manager was offered to me I’d never turn it down.
“It wouldn’t be about finance or anything else.
This is a fantastic opportunity I’ve been given now.”
Today, Rangers are back at Hampden for the Viaplay
Cup Final against Celtic.
After the Hibs debacle 15 months ago, Beale feels it’s a chance to put things right by lifting the trophy.
He said: “A lot of trust and faith has been put in me.
“The club must have seen things in me when I was here before.
“I wouldn’t say no to Rangers because the club had a big pull ICONS past Ibrox gaffers Souness and Smith (right) on me when I was here. I always wanted to come back and I upset some people making the decision.
“I know I’m going to be judged on days like this. But I also want to be judged at the end of my time here. There’s no point winning on Sunday and not winning again.
“If we lose, nobody will give me grace if we win the Scottish Cup. They’ll still say, ‘He should have won the League Cup.’”
Beale admits that one day he’d like to learn a foreign language and work abroad again. But Rangers fans shouldn’t panic.
Having returned to the club, he now sees himself at Ibrox for the long haul.
He was at the Hall of Fame dinner last week seeing Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and James Tavernier inducted alongside Ibrox icons of the past.
Beale wants a part of that. He accepts he might never gain the legendary status of previous managers such as Walter Smith and Graeme Souness.
But he’d love to emulate another guy he met at Edmiston House the other night.
Alex McLeish took the job midway through the 2001/02 season when Celtic already had the league title wrapped up.
Sound familiar? McLeish put down a marker by winning both domestic cups that year – then followed it up with a Treble in 2002/03.
If Beale can secure victory at Hampden today he’ll have taken the first step to repeating that feat.
He said: “This is very much MY club. This is where my family wants to live and it’s where I’m happiest.
“I want to be here for the foreseeable future and build strong foundations for the club.
“If I do that, I’ l l build a strong foundation for my own management career but I’m not chasing the Premier League.
“Being Rangers manager is something I wanted because I get the history and prestige of this club.
“I’ve got aims in the future to work abroad then be a head of youth again when I get grey hair.
“But I’m not clamouring to be a manager in the Premier League. I could have had that already – but this job far outweighed it.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get near guys like Smith and Souness here as the game has changed.
“They’re both icons and one followed the other.
“I’ve met both and they’re great men.
“I also met Big Eck at the
Hall of Fame dinner and he’s still as excited, optimistic and passionate about the club.
“I know he won two trophies when he came in. He tapped me on the back and said, ‘ No pressure!’”
If we lose, nobody, will give me grace if we win the Scottish
Cup