One of the reasons why some Rangers fans are apprehensive about Michael Beale being announced as the new manager is because of how limited he is as a number one, and yet, one of our greatest ever served his apprenticeship as an assistant before being promoted to the top job.
Walter Smith’s circumstances are entirely different to that of Beale’s though and there is a sense of it being an appointment that could have been made a year ago, if the board had been strong enough. He now, has that chance to implement the ideas that Steven Gerrard didn’t want to and to take matters into his own hands.
Despite being the bookies’ favourite for a long time, another former assistant who inherited the manager’s job has expressed surprise that Beale has been the man that the board have turned to, Ally McCoist, speaking to Talksport this morning revealing why he thinks the QPR boss has been given the nod:
“I’m a bit surprised because he’s got a lack of experience in terms of management.
“I don’t know how many games he’s managed at QPR, maybe 12 or 14. He started very well but unfortunately I think he’s lost four out of the last five.
“Beale isn’t getting the job on form. He’s getting it on what he’s done under Gerrard.
“It’s definitely a surprise, I genuinely thought they might have got someone with more experience because he is very inexperienced
“But again, flip side of the coin, he knows the club, he was there a good period under Steven Gerrard, left at the same time with Steven and the board obviously think it is gamble worth taking.”
Beale is getting the job because, like an up-and-coming player, he has potential. We all know how highly thought of he is as a coach and the plan is that – free of the inhibitions of a manager above him – that he will be able to implement his own game plans.
Football has also changed. Steven Gerrard was the right man at the right time but, perhaps, the time is right for more of a head coach to come into the club and get the best out of the players, with an experienced coaching team, there is no reason why Beale can’t be a success.
He might be inexperienced as a manager, however, when you line his qualities up next to almost every other candidate, there is no doubt that he could be the man to bring glory back to the club – if he fulfills his potential that is.