When Michael Beale returned to Rangers and claimed that the squad wasn’t broken, there were more than a few eyebrows raised.
He inherited a team nine points behind Celtic and with a team that had a mix of veterans, kids and players who looked like the wanted to be anywhere but playing for Rangers.
One look on social media and to the memories of a year ago when Rangers beat RB Leipzig and it seems like a lifetime ago.
James Tavernier was flying, John Lundstram was a different player and Ryan Kent wasn’t afraid to take players on.
A large percentage of Michael Beale‘s squad, and most of the recent starting XI, got to a European final.
Rubbish squads don’t get to European finals.
The odd rogue player might be carried by teammates but not a whole team.
The problem facing Michael Beale and Rangers
Todd Cantwell has made a difference, as has Nicolas Raskin but the intensity that saw us overcome Red Star, Braga, Dortmund and RB Leipzig has long been missing.
The quality is there – well hidden, but it’s there – however, the mentality that saw us go through a league campaign unbeaten disappeared the moment we lost at Parkhead and surrendered our position at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The belief was gone.
Bringing in quality during the summer won’t achieve anything if the players who are signed don’t have the right mentality.
Technical ability is hugely important but so too is confidence, arrogance and determination.
It’s so bizarre to have watched a team go from not losing in Old Firm derbies for years to then capitulate to the extent that in every game we give them a goal of a head start, sometimes even two.
It sounds simple enough but cutting out the mistakes is a mindset issue not one of the players not being good enough, because they have proven in the past that they are.
Against the rest, and against Celtic.
Michael Beale should have a better front three at his disposal next season than the one that Giovanni van Bronckhorst took to the Europa League final.
The rest, is on him.
