Derek McInnes has expressed his disappointment at Michael Beale’s firing as manager of Rangers, but he has also acknowledged that the decision was made due to a lack of support from the board and the supporters.
Although Beale’s four losses to Celtic played a significant role in the decision, Kilmarnock’s manager felt it was unfortunate to see Beale fired because of his pride and joy at managing Rangers.
After his Kilmarnock club was one of those to defeat Beale’s squad earlier this season and ultimately led to his firing, McInnes has been linked to the Rangers position himself (Aberdeen Live, 3 October).
McInnes said, “I think there seemed to be a lack of belief from the supporters, and unfortunately for Michael that maybe transferred itself into the boardroom after Saturday’s result,” in a live interview on TNTSports prior to Rangers’ Europa League match on October 5.
“It’s always upsetting to see a manager get fired because, without a question, he worked so hard. He felt quite honoured to accept the position and was very enthusiastic about it.
“Only a few months ago, the club had great hope about the upcoming season, but after seven games [this season], they have already suffered eight defeats, four of which were critical victories for Celtic.
“I think that lack of belief and confidence accelerated after the [PSV] Eindhoven game and the Celtic game, certainly from the stands, and I think that last Saturday’s game against Aberdeen just came to a head,” the player said.
Here, everything the Kilmarnock manager says is accurate. After the Celtic loss, there was a lack of confidence in the crowd that eventually went to the board and made his firing unavoidable given the season’s terrible start.
But while the Ibrox club continues to debate over who would succeed Beale, McInnes is believed to be one of those in line for the position, despite the fact that a number of other candidates appear to have surged ahead of him in the pecking order.
For Beale, there were just too many things going against him for a comeback at Ibrox to ever seem like a chance. Eight defeats overall during his tenure as Rangers manager, four to Celtic, a weak transfer window where he was heavily backed, and a shaky start to the season all contributed to his eventual resignation.
The club will now have a busy couple of weeks because the search for a new manager has already started. Candidates like , Frank LampardKjeli Knudsen, Pascal Jansen, and others are now in conversations before a choice is made.
