They say at Rangers when a manager loses the crowd – as Michael Beale did in the Old Firm defeat to Celtic – it’s nigh on impossible to win the fans back.
The former Ibrox assistant is well aware of the expectations in Glasgow, however unreasonable many might view them to be, and he is no stranger to a backlash from the stands.
Having served his Rangers apprenticeship under Steven Gerrard, the club touched Michael Beale as it has so many fans before him and even before his return as manager the bug never left him.
But now in his dream role in many respects, the Rangers boss is finding out the hard way that the pressure of the thousands who live, breathe and die by the Ibrox club can take its toll on anyone.
Steven Gerrard’s shoulders were broad but even the Liverpool legend aged under the quantum pressure of Rangers getting a first title since the club’s unceremonious collapse in 2012 – and stopping Celtic winning 10IAR in the process.
Whilst this was achieved, and done so emphatically back in 2021, mismanagement at boardroom level has allowed Celtic to get the upperhand and they’re now a couple of trophies behind Rangers’ record-breaking haul.
Michael Beale, of course, will not bear the brunt of these shortcomings but since his return the Rangers manager’s record against Celtic is what has the minds of many fans already firmly made up.
Michael Beale must overcome Celtic to win back Rangers fans
Having lost both domestic cups and collapsed in the title race in the second half of last season, despite finding consistency against the rest Michael Beale even has some asking why Giovanni van Bronckhorst – a European finalist and Scottish Cup winner – was shown the door.
Given leeway because of the abysmal squad management of the last few years, this summer was all about the Michael Beale vision coming to life at Rangers and him realising the Ibrox dream he’d sold the club’s now expectant fans.
With Ross Wilson – who despite mismanaging our squad did have a solid impact on the background at Rangers – moving on to Nottingham Forest, Rangers handed Michael Beale the recruitment sword to chop up this squad.
Swinging for several top names in the team – many of whom had criminally underperformed in Rangers jerseys in recent seasons – it’s a weapon he’ll live and die buy with this team one now firmly built in his image.
Since the international break, and amid the added challenges of yet more injuries, it’s one which has held firm with four clean sheets providing the foundation of four straight victories.
But despite those wins the sentiment of unhappiness lingers and Michael Beale’s once bright and bubbly press conferences have – to many – become somber death marches.
For those who’ve already made their minds up, they’ll say that Rangers’ lack of attacking fluency, identity and success has Beale slowly walking the plank into the Blue Sea of Ibrox.
But for those paying more attention it’s the Rangers manager’s shortcomings in the face of Old Firm rivals Celtic which has lost him most, if not all, of the credit with mutinous fans.
As the club rolled to a 4-0 win over Livingston, a first League Cup in 12, almost 13 years is 180 minutes away barring any extra time and penalties.
But even if Rangers can finally get their hands on this elusive trophy, for the legions of Ibrox supporters who’ve already jumped ship redemption for Beale can only be found in finally swinging the pendulum of Old Firm dominance back towards Ibrox.
An impossible task to everyone else in Scottish football maybe, but then again they do say it’ll be nigh on impossible for the Rangers boss to win the support back.
The Rangers manager is building up staunch resistance in the face of all this pressure but it’ll count for nothing if it cannot hold in the face of Celtic’s title challenge.
