Rangers reaction: bond between Beale and fans irreparably broken, unknown since 1987, ‘couldnae kick doors at Halloween’

It is all about where Michael Beale can possibly go from here – or where the Rangers board cannot fail to go in determining his fate – following the catastrophic 3-1 defeat at home to Aberdeen. His grim predicament is assessed below.

Rangers manager Michael Beale's tenure looks as if it can only end one way now. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Bond between Beale and fans irreparably broken

In rather unconvincing fashion – fully in keeping with his team’s endeavours – on Saturday evening, Michael Beale suggested that the seven-point deficit Rangers face to overhaul Celtic in the title race was not insurmountable. It had happened before, he stated. On the latter point he is correct. Rangers held a seven-point lead going into the closing stages of the 2008-09 league season and were overhauled by Celtic. A reverse of the previous season when Celtic held a seven-point lead after beating their ancient adversaries in the new year fixture, only to be hunted down by them. And, of course, Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic were six points behind Rangers at exactly this present juncture – seven games in – two seasons ago and succeeded in powering to the title.

In none of these three seasons, though, were any of the eventual turnaround title winners helmed by a man held in such contempt by their own supporters. A man, as is true of the Beale, who had no experience of leading any team to a championship. Rangers were filleted by Aberdeen on Saturday because, right across their ranks, they proved devoid of confidence and competence. In part this was exacerbated by the excruciatingly hostile environment they are being required to perform in as the Ibrox crowd bay for the blood of Beale and his team whenever they lose their way. Almost making it inevitable this is the fate that befalls them.

Postecoglou turned it around two years ago because he was willed by the support to make good on some real early season promise – 15 goals netted without reply in early home blitzings – even as they proved vulnerable on the road. Those signs do not exist for Beale. Moreover, Rangers, unlike Celtic then, aren’t about to go on a 31-game unbeaten run in the league. In 2009, Gordon Strachan’s Parkhead side were toppled by Walter Smith’s men because they won only eight of their last 18 games, as their vanquishers suffered only one defeat in the same period. That isn’t going to be replicated, with Celtic still finding their rhythm dropping only two points from the first seven top flight encounters this season. A return not bettered across such a sequence in over a decade. As for Rangers’ late collapse in 2008, that was the product of a fixture pile-up caused by their run to the UEFA Cup final. As Strachan’s team were still required to win all seven of their final games, two of these derby wins, to land a third straight title. Beale’s Rangers are in no shape to pull off any such heroics. If anything, they look more likely to fray further. All of which suggests only one ending for the Englishman’s management tenure.

Unknown since 1987

How bleak is Beale’s predicament can be illustrated by how rare it is for Rangers to lose three of their first seven league games, as have his team this season. Not since 1987-88 have an Ibrox side done so, then also throwing in a draw for grim measure. This isn’t the poorest start to a season for any Rangers incarnation since then, though. In 1989-90, the record was only two wins from seven, with three draws and two defeats. A start that did not prevent the championship making its way to Govan, as was true when Rangers opened the 1993-94 campaign with two defeats, four draws and only a solitary win from their first seven league assignments. The Ibrox club weren’t so fortunate in 2017-18 and 2018-19 – Steven Gerrard’s first season – when their first seven Premiership outings produced three wins, two draws and two defeats.

‘Couldnae kick doors at Halloween’

There wasn’t much in the way of levity to be heard among the verbal lashings with which the Rangers support showered their team’s as they toiled against Aberdeen. The luckless Cyriel Dessers, with missed chances and a number of miserable interactions, borne the brunt of much fan ire. The despair at the Nigerian international led one fan to bawl ‘you couldnae kick doors at Halloween, you’. A new line in abuse for those who heard it, an extra point for the fumer for topicality.