Michael Beale SACKED by Rangers as boss pays price for dismal start to season

RANGERS have axed boss Michael Beale after almost a year in charge.

The Englishman took over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in December last year after the Gers fell nine points off top spot in the cinch Premiership.

Michael Beale replaced Giovanni van Bronckhorst and couldn’t lift Rangers’ overall league performanceWillie Vass

SNSThe hierarchy at Ibrox have acted after the Gers lost ground on Celtic throughout September[/caption]

But with a seven-point deficit at the beginning of October, the Ibrox board has acted and launched another new manager search.

A statement read: “Rangers Football Club can confirm it has parted company with men’s first-team manager, Michael Beale.

“The Rangers board would like to put on record their thanks to Michael and his staff for their efforts since joining the club last November.

“Results this season have fallen short of what everyone connected to Rangers would expect.

“Therefore, the decision was reached today to terminate the contract of the manager, as well as the contracts of coaches Neil Banfield, Damian Matthew, Harry Watling and Jack Ade.”

Beale saw his final few games soundtracked by boos.

The team was jeered off from an Old Firm defeat to Celtic by all four stands at Ibrox after the Hoops rejected an away allocation.

But though his side responded to win three in a row with clean sheets in each of the games that followed the performances left much to be desired.

Real Betis was his only statement win in his tenure and even a 1-0 win over Motherwell was jeered such was the quality of football on show.

But a home defeat to Aberdeen on the back of a 4-0 Viaplay Cup Final win over Livingston sealed his fate.

In total Beale presided over 42 games, winning 31 and drawing four.

Crucially only one ‘big win’ that mattered – against Real Betis.

Beale did defeat Celtic – convincingly – at the end of last term in a match regarded as a dead rubber in terms of the league title’s destination.

Early moves in the transfer market saw Nico Raskin and Todd Cantwell recruited and the pair became quick-fire fan favourites.

In the summer he spent a significant outlay on Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Jose Cifuentes and Sam Lammers but none blossomed in the early stages of the season and their failure to settle certainly contributed to his dismissal.

With him, Beale brought in coaches Neil Banfield and Harry Watling plus secured a return for club doctor Mark Waller.

But upstairs at Ibrox much has changed during his tenure.

The club is still without a Director of Football following Ross Wilson’s move to Nottingham Forest last April and James Bisgrove took over from Stewart Robertson as CEO in the summer.

Douglas Park also stood down as chairman earlier this year, replaced by John Bennett.

The club is also moving to a data-driven set-up in the scouting department, moving John Brown’s duties and adding an ambassador’s role, while letting opposition scout Billy McLaren leave and Billy Kirkwood depart as loan manager.

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