Steven Gerrard’s trusted lieutenant, Michael Beale, is the man tasked with implementing the gaffer’s ideas on the training pitch and after two years of hard work, it appears to be finally paying off.
With 17 wins and just three draws in 20 fixtures so far this season Rangers are finally showing the type of consistency needed to make a realistic claim on the Scottish Premiership title and speaking to the Coaches Voice podcast, Beale revealed what Gerrard is like to work with and how the coaching team dynamic works at Auchenhowie:
“He has a really keen eye for recruitment and the type of young player he wants to work with so he spends a lot of time in a one-to-one basis talking to those players and understanding them. I think that’s really important.
“It’s a pleasure for me on a day-to-day basis because I’m learning as a football coach bit I’m also obsessed with learning about the top players and why they stayed at the top level for so long so some of the conversations I have with Steven (Gerrard) and Gary (McAllister) around that I find really interesting.
“As I say he gives me a hell of a lot of responsibility on a daily basis to plan sessions and put his vision into the team and I’m really thankful for that. It’s a fantastic club and we have had some really big nights since we have been at the club.
“Some of the Old Firm games and European nights have been fantastic and there’s probably too many to mention now so that shows there has been a marked improvement in the work that we have done.”
We have seen a real change at Rangers over the last couple of years, no longer do we just rely on better players to get results and there is a clear tactical plan depending on the opposition, there is more than just a plan A.
There has been a greater flexibility in midfield, sometimes seeing two attack minded players and just one “sitter” orchestrating attacks and protecting the defence, that we have conceded so few goals proves that the small adaptations are working.
When Gerrard arrived, many were worried about his lack of experience, but the way that he carefully built his team around him has been a masterstroke, having a coach of Beale’s ability could well turn out to be the best piece of recruitment since he took on the task of returning us from fallen giants to once again being the dominant force in the country.