Former Rangers boss Michael Beale could be in line for a return to management having held talks over a move to Stoke City.
Rangers made a bold decision in November of last year, bringing Michael Beale back to the club.
Beale had been Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Ibrox but left for Aston Villa in 2021.
Beale then became Queens Park Rangers boss, coaching just 22 games before landing a return to Rangers as first-team manager.
Not everybody approved of Beale returning to Ibrox after so few games as a manager, and the move really didn’t work out.
Michael Beale in contention for Stoke City job after Rangers axe
Rangers pulled the plug on the Beale experiment within a year, sacking him on October 1st.
Now out of work for over two months, Beale has been linked with other jobs.
Millwall had a look into appointing Beale in November but they went in another direction.
Another job has now appeared with Stoke City sacking Scottish boss Alex Neil on Sunday.
The Telegraph’s John Percy now reports that Stoke have held initial talks with Beale over a move to the Potteries.
Others are in the mix, including Paul Heckingbottom and John Eustace, but Beale will now hope to convince Stoke that he is the right man.
Beale just wasn’t ready for the Rangers hot seat having spent just a few months as a manager.
Going back to Championship level to learn his craft is a good idea and Stoke – with a strong squad and plenty of backing – could be very appealing.
Beale may still have a future as a very good manager but Rangers simply had to let him go.
Beale’s summer signings weren’t good enough, there was no clear tactical identity and performances just weren’t good enough.
We would not be surprised to see him shine as a manager down the line but Rangers simply didn’t have the time to find out.
