Barry Ferguson is absolutely correct about Michael Beale and Rangers

Barry Ferguson is absolutely correct in what he says about Michael Beale, in that the former Rangers captain and legend has explained the new manager, if it is to be Beale, cannot be a ‘yes’ man.

A lot of Rangers fans are concerned the former Ibrox assistant is too ‘easy’ and ‘cosy’ an appointment, being little more than a gopher for the likes of Douglas Park and Stewart Robertson’s bidding, and Ferguson is absolutely correct in demanding that Beale be a manager, and not a mouse.

While Ibrox Noise is behind the appointment, we reserve a concern ourselves that Beale could be a board lackey, and that he won’t have control over signings and other football matters which were clearly Ross Wilson’s remit in charge of former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

And we agree with Barry – if Beale, or indeed anyone else is to take over as new Govan supremo, they need to be a Walter – they have to be a 100% patriarch and have full say over everything football at the football club.

The only job Ross Wilson should be doing is the paperwork to make happen the things the manager wants. It’s up to Beale to sign his players, to bring together his staff, and Rangers should never again be in a position where the manager is really the coach, and only gets a passive say in football matters, rather than complete control.

This is clearly what happened with Gio, and possibly Steven Gerrard as well – we don’t know how much control he had, but if Rangers want to progress, go forward, the manager must be entrusted to make his own decisions, his own signings, and the board must completely back him.

Gio was utterly undermined both by the suits and by the players, and that cannot be allowed to happen again, especially given what Gio brought the club. More than any other manager in recent times, and certainly bigger revenue.

Beale, like any new boss, cannot be overruled by anyone, and if he’s to be manager, he should die by the sword he lives on, rather than someone else’s, as Gio sadly did.

Lessons must be learned from the last 6+ months, otherwise Rangers will never get out of this rut.