2M4XFWB Rangers Manager Michael Beale arrives at stadium before the cinch Premiership match at the Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall, Scotland. Picture date: Friday December 23, 2022.
Hugh Keevins urges Michael Beale to avoid ‘seismic embarrassment’ for Rangers lifeline
Michael Beale must avoid a “seismic embarrassment” in the Europa League against Aris Limassol if he has any chance of remaining at Rangers, according to Hugh Keevins.
Keevins indicated in the Daily Record (1 October) that defeat to the Cypriots would mean the end for the manager, as even his reduced Gers squad would suffer as a result.
Beale’s four-game unbeaten streak came to an end with a 3-1 loss to Aberdeen at Ibrox, piling to the pressure on the under-fire manager.
“Michael has to be careful this week when the stress cycle takes him to Cyprus in the Europa League for what could be called his Progres Niederkorn moment,” Keevins remarked. Aris Limassol, the Rangers’ Thursday opponent, aren’t even the top team in Limassol, never alone the country.
“Just as Niederkorn were not the premier team in Luxembourg when Rangers travelled there for a Europa League qualifier under Pedro Caixinha in 2017. You’ve read the script. Pedro planned to lose the tie on aggregate, and he eventually paid the price with his job.
“No one can deny Beale has been blighted by injury but he travels with a squad still strong enough to be afforded no excuses in the event of mishap. A seismic embarrassment would not be forgiven in the current climate.
“Aris are cannon fodder, there to make up the numbers in Rangers’ Europa League group. The cannon has to be fired before anyone else suffers that fate.”
Lifeline
Beale may be lucky to even get to the Europa League clash on Thursday (5 October) amid the growing pressure on his position at the club.
The Englishman had done enough to keep the pressure at arm’s distance after four consecutive victories and clean sheets, but criticism remained regarding the nature of his team’s performances.
Against Aberdeen, they were undone. Major lapses of concentration at the back and a misfiring front line all formed the perfect storm of failure. Abdallah Sima’s strike to make it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go was not enough to mount a comeback, with Aberdeen’s Jack MacKenzie putting the final nail in the Gers’ coffin to make it 3-1.
While Keevins is correct that victory in Cyprus is vital, it seems unlikely that it would be enough to reduce the pressure on Beale that much. A win would be expected. Even amid Rangers’ current issues, few would predict a “seismic embarrassment” at the hands of Aris Limassol, meaning defeat here would almost definitely see the manager depart.
But, the best Beale can do now is a convincing win against weak opposition, his time certainly looks to be running out.
