Rangers dismiss Michael Beale with the club seven points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership; Steven Davis leading an interim management team of Alex Rae, Steven Smith, Brian Gilmour and Colin Stewart; Gers face Aris Limassol next then visit St Mirren on Sunday - live on Sky Sports
Monday 2 October 2023 12:08, UK
Rangers have sacked manager Michael Beale after just 10 months in charge.
The Ibrox side trail Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic by seven points following a third league loss in seven games, as Aberdeen won 3-1 at Ibrox on Saturday.
Beale's backroom team have also had their contracts terminated, with an interim management team led by club legend Steven Davis taking over.
He will be assisted by current coaches Steven Smith and Brian Gilmour, former player Alex Rae and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.
Sky Sports News understands the interim management team will remain in place for as long as necessary so the Rangers board can appoint the correct long-term manager for the club.
It is also understood the club are confident the interim management group have the required UEFA coaching licences to lead the team in the Europa League, with Rangers at Aris Limassol on Thursday.
Beale said in a statement on social media: "Thank you @rangersfc to everyone behind the scenes at the training ground and Ibrox, to the board, staff, fans and all the players. I will always follow and support the club from afar and wish you every success.
"Now is the time for everyone to unite fully behind Steven Davis and the team in the coming games. There is still so much to play for this season and I have a strong belief in this group of players. Thank you and good luck."
Pressure had been mounting on Beale in recent weeks as his side lost 1-0 at home to their Old Firm rivals, just days after being hammered 7-3 on aggregate by PSV in their Champions League play-off.
Even some of Rangers' four consecutive wins that followed were met with boos from supporters, and, after 43 competitive matches in charge, Beale has been relieved of his duties by CEO James Bisgrove and chairman John Bennett.
Beale - who signed a deal until the summer of 2026 to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst last November - becomes one of the shortest-serving permanent managers in the club's history, with only Pedro Caixinha and Paul Le Guen departing sooner.
Rangers are now searching for a fourth different manager in two years, following Steven Gerrard's move to Aston Villa in 2021, and the dismissals of Van Bronckhorst, then Beale in the years thereafter.
Bennett said: "I'd like to thank Michael for his dedicated work since he rejoined the club as manager last November.
"It is clear that results have fallen well short of the board's, Michael's and our supporters' expectations.
"The search process for the new manager is already under way. I wish Steven Davis and the interim management team every success - they will remain in charge for as long as it takes to make the right appointment."
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd on Sky Sports News:
"I don't think there was any option, the way the season has started. You can't lose three of your opening league games. Even when Rangers won last week against Motherwell there were boos after the game, so the fans had just had enough.
"I don't think they'd seen enough improvement. I think it all comes down to recruitment again, and Jack Butland is the only one of the arrivals who can keep his head held high at this moment in time. The rest have been nowhere near it and are going to have to improve.
"Unfortunately for Michael Beale he pays the price of poor recruitment and poor performances and results on the pitch.
"A lot of fans had already made their minds up that Michael Beale was not the man to take Rangers Football Club forward. You look at the big games and there haven't been any results in those.
"I said after the defeat against Kilmarnock, you just got the feeling that the pressure was beginning to mount. It was there right away.
"It's not [been] good enough, it's got to be a lot better and with the money that has been spent in the summer - I don't see any improvement and I don't think the fans have seen any improvement - and hence why Michael Beale has lost his job."
Former Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson on Sky Sports News:
"When you look at the club and how big it is, I'm pretty sure that all the big-hitters and all the big names will be getting their agents to get on the phone to the Rangers board to make sure they try and stake a claim to get in front of the board to try and prove to them that they could be the next person.
"I'd hate to throw individual names in there because I just think you're almost second-guessing really. But what I would say is it is a prestigious job, it is as good as it gets, a massive club, an opportunity to win silverware.
"The expectation and demand is bigger than I have ever seen. I think the club are in a good position. There are selling points, they have got a cup semi-final coming up, there is still the Scottish Cup to play for, they are still in Europe.
"There are opportunities there. I think it is a brilliant club, with brilliant fans, with the expectation to try and win silverware and play at an elite level there for all to see.
"I'd be really disappointed if the club didn't have massive names in the hat to then pick who they think is the best candidate."
Beale joined from QPR less than six months after landing his first managerial job at Loftus Road.
Some viewed his appointment as a risk, due to his limited time as a manager, but his coaching ability was respected following 20-plus years in the game.
He also knew about the demands of being at Rangers, following three years at Ibrox as part of Gerrard's backroom team that won the club's 55th top-flight title.
In an exclusive first interview after being appointed, Beale insisted he was ready for the job and that the team he inherited from Van Bronckhorst was not as broken as some thought - despite crashing out of the Champions League and trailing Celtic by nine points.
At first glance, last season's results under Beale might suggest progress was made - as Rangers only lost to two clubs in 29 games, Aberdeen and Celtic.
However, dig a bit further and you will see defeats to their Old Firm rivals were regular and proved costly. In January it was a case of two points dropped in a draw at Ibrox, then February saw Beale's side lose the League Cup final. April's defeat at Celtic Park effectively ended Rangers' title hopes and weeks later a semi-final defeat saw Scottish Cup hopes go up in smoke, too.
There was a win at Ibrox over Celtic - a week after the title had been claimed - and fans were left wondering if Beale's side could win the big games that mattered following a trophyless season.
To win doubters over and rebuild a squad that was losing the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor and more - Beale was backed by the board.
Sporting director Ross Wilson had left for Nottingham Forest - meaning Beale spent the back end of last season working on player identification alongside the scouting department.
He flew across Europe to meet prospective signings, and before a ball was kicked in the 2023/24 season nine new players had joined - including Danilo for around £6m, Cyriel Dessers at around £4.5m and Sam Lammers for around £3m.
Beale had been backed financially - with the club's net spend around £5m - and six of those new arrivals featured in the league opener. However, fans were left frustrated as Kilmarnock won 1-0 at Rugby Park and ensured the new campaign started on a sour note.
While Beale's side navigated their way past Servette to reach the Champions League play-offs, performances were not exciting some fans as they then saw the team edge past Championship side Morton in the League Cup.
Questions were being asked of the recruitment. Did Beale and co get it right? Perhaps the clearest answer came in the space of five days that saw some fans turn.
After a 2-2 draw at Ibrox, PSV thrashed Rangers 5-1 in Eindhoven in the Champions League play-offs - the same club Van Bronckhorst's side beat 12 months earlier - as Rangers dropped into the Europa League.
Then, back at a packed Ibrox with no away fans, an injury-hit Celtic came and took all three points as the new signings failed to impress once again.
Some fans wanted Beale to go during the September international break that followed, but the board backed him to turn things around after his big summer spend.
Following two weeks on the training ground, results improved after the break as Rangers won four consecutive matches without conceding a goal - but some performances were still being met with boos.
There was a split in the fans - some still wanted Beale out - and as injuries mounted, something Beale promised to get to the bottom of when taking over. How was he going to win those supporters back?
The answer was - he could not. When Aberdeen consigned Beale's side to a third league loss in seven games the writing was on the wall, and Rangers' search for a 19th manager in their history is under way.
October 5: Aris Limassol (a), Europa League, kick-off 5.45pm
October 8: St Mirren (a), Scottish Premiership, kick-off noon - live on Sky Sports
October 21: Hibernian (h), Scottish Premiership, kick-off 3pm
October 26: Sparta Prague (a), Europa League, kick-off 5.45pm
October 29: Hearts (h), Scottish Premiership, kick-off 3pm
November 28, 2022: Beale appointed on a deal until the summer of 2026, replacing the sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst with Rangers nine points behind Celtic in the league.
November 29, 2022: Beale exclusively tells Sky Sports that the team "is not as broken" as people believe. He also says he needs to sort out an injury crisis that plagued Rangers last year in order to improve results. After Saturday's loss to Aberdeen, Beale confirmed he now has nine players out injured after seven league games this season.
December 15, 2022: Rangers beat Hibernian 3-2 in Beale's first competitive game as manager. His side go on to win their next three games.
January 2, 2023: Rangers concede an 88th-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Celtic in the first Old Firm under Beale - missing the chance to cut the gap to six points.
January 15, 2023: Rangers beat Aberdeen 2-1 after extra time at Hampden Park to reach the League Cup final. A run of nine wins follows the Old Firm draw.
January 23, 2023: Beale makes his first signing as Rangers boss, as Todd Cantwell joins on a long-term deal from Norwich City.
January 31, 2023: Nicolas Raskin joins from Standard Liege as Beale's second signing - Rangers' last arrival of the winter window.
February 26, 2023: Beale's side miss out on the first trophy of the season as they fail to beat Celtic again, losing 2-1 in the League Cup final at Hampden Park.
April 8, 2023: Rangers win the next five matches across all competitions until facing Celtic - this time losing 3-2 in the league at Celtic Park as the hosts move 12 points clear of Beale's side.
April 30, 2023: Following a 2-0 loss at Aberdeen in the league, Rangers suffer another defeat to Celtic - this time in the Scottish Cup semi-final as Jota's goal wins it 1-0 for Ange Postecoglou's side.
May 13, 2023: Rangers win the final meeting of the season against Celtic, 3-0 at Ibrox - as Beale secures his first Old Firm victory as Gers boss - a week after Celtic clinch the title.
Summer 2023: Rangers sign nine players during the summer transfer window: Leon Balogun, Jack Butland, Jose Cifuentes, Cyriel Dessers, Kieran Dowell, Sam Lammers, Danilo Pereira da Silva, Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling.
Sky Sports News understands the net spend for Beale in the summer window is around £5m as the manager is backed to rebuild his squad.
August 5, 2023: Five new players start and one comes on as a substitute as Beale's side kick off the new league campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock.
August 15, 2023: After a 2-1 win at Ibrox in the first leg (Aug 9), Rangers book their place in the Champions League play-offs with a 1-1 draw at Servette.
August 30, 2023: Rangers draw 2-2 in the first leg against PSV (Aug 22) but away from home Beale's side are thrashed 5-1 and miss out on a Champions League spot, dropping into the Europa League group stage.
September 3, 2023: Days later, against a Celtic team who had to deal with several injury issues, Rangers lose 1-0 at Ibrox to Brendan Rodgers' side and fall four points behind their rivals after four league games heading into the international break.
September 16, 2023: Rangers return from the break to win 2-0 at St Johnstone.
September 21, 2023: Rangers then beat Real Betis 1-0 at Ibrox in their opening Europa League group game.
September 24, 2023: Beale's side are booed off at full-time despite beating Motherwell 1-0 at Ibrox.
September 30, 2023: Rangers lose their third league game of the season after seven matches as Aberdeen win 3-1 at Ibrox. Beale's side are booed off for a third consecutive home league game.
October 1, 2023: Beale and his backroom team are sacked after just 307 days in charge at Ibrox.
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