The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Beale tipped for Rangers hotseat after axe falls on Gio after one year
Rangers sacked manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst yesterday following the team’s run of poor form this season that has “not met expectations”.
The Dutchman, a former player at Ibrox, was appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor a year ago and led the club to the Europa League final and a first Scottish Cup triumph in 13 years.
However, he has paid the price for a poor start to the current season in which Rangers endured a humiliating Champions League group stage and fell nine points adrift of city rivals Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership.
Ibrox chairman Douglas Park said: “I want to thank Gio for the hard work he has put in over the last 12 months and, especially, the achievements of taking the club to the Europa League final and winning the Scottish Cup last season.
“Unfortunately, recent results have not met neither our nor Gio’s expectations and we have taken this difficult decision today. Everyone at Rangers wishes Gio every success in the future.”
Rangers have just over three weeks to find a successor for Van Bronckhorst, with their first match after the World Cup break at home to Hibernian on December 15.
Kenny Miller believes QPR boss Michael Beale should feature prominently on the shortlist to replace van Bronckhorst.
Beale was a highly regarded coach under Gerrard at Ibrox and more recently at Aston Villa before branching out on his own to become QPR boss in June.
Former Ibrox striker Miller said: “There’s loads of names that spring to mind, you’ve got the likes of Sean Dyche who’s got connections to (Rangers sporting director) Ross Wilson, the same with Ralph Hasenhuttl.
“One for me that would be right at the top of the list would be Michael Beale. His name’s been bandied about over the last month while Rangers have been toiling.
“I think he fits, he knows the club, he knows the players. There would be no surprises with him walking back into the building in terms of the demands and the expectations of the football club and he’s started off his own journey as a manager pretty well as well, so I think he’d be right at the top of the list.”
Miller acknowledged his former Rangers team-mate Van Bronckhorst had to deal with difficult circumstances but he had no arguments with the decision to sack him.
“The injuries to some key players, particularly Tom Lawrence and Connor Goldson, are huge,” said Miller. “Particularly Goldson, when you see the Rangers defence at the moment.
“They’ve been giving up goals, it’s been a really inexperienced centre-back pairing, so he’s been a big loss. I feel the recruitment done in the summer has not really come to fruition as yet.
“Maybe there’s a bit of development required in these signings in terms of settling into a new club, in a new city, where there are a lot of demands put on you. But ultimately the results have cost Gio. The fact they’re sitting nine points behind Celtic after 15 games doesn’t make good reading. Yes, there are circumstances that have not helped Gio but I think it may be the right decision going forward.”
With three and a half weeks until their next fixture at home to Hibernian on December 15, Miller feels Rangers have the opportunity for a reset after a turbulent opening to the campaign.
“This World Cup break was always going to bring change for a lot of teams all over Europe,” he said. “If it’s a swift decision made and there’s a new guy in the building potentially by the end of the week, he’s going to have three weeks in preparation for the Hibs game.
“It’s absolutely crucial that we see improvement in the Rangers performance. As long as it’s a swift decision, I think they’ve got time to embed themselves in the club and get the players buying into what they’re about.”
Kris Boyd backed his former Ibrox strike partner Miller’s endorsement of Beale’s credentials.
“Whether it’s big names trying to get a start in their managerial career like Steven Gerrard or managers trying to rebuild their reputation like Brendan Rodgers, to then get a move back down to England, I wouldn’t rule anybody out,” said Boyd.
“Rangers can’t afford the Premier League wages that Sean Dyche or Ralph Hasenhuttl would have been on, but there is a special attraction to both big clubs in Scotland, the attraction of playing in Europe, and the opportunity to win trophies.
“The obvious one at this point would be Michael Beale. The Rangers fans remember what he did under Steven Gerrard, and they are extremely proud that he was part of the team that delivered title number 55 for the football club.”