Reading’s Paul Ince has backed Rangers and Michael Beale after admitting the Ibrox offer was one the boss couldn’t turn down, as much as he sympathises with Queens Park Rangers fans over their rage, amid his own amazement Beale turned Wolverhampton Wanderers down.
Speaking to Ibrox Noise and Lord Ping, Ince said:
“I understand why QPR fans feel disrespected but maybe it was a job that he can’t turn down.”
Indeed, Ibrox Noise has been inundated with angry QPR supporters, wishing Beale all the failure in the world, insulting Rangers, insulting our page, and taking it out on the messenger, in effect.
But it was a job that not only Beale couldn’t turn down, but it was the only one that was:
“I can’t believe Michael turned down a Premier League job, I would never do that but I’m sure he’s capable of being successful at Rangers and I wish him all the luck in the world.”
Ince admitting Beale ditching Wolves was something he’d never personally do, and it showed how Rangers was the only club Beale was willing to leave QPR (or anyone else) for. Rangers have the huge pull, and we’re a gigantic club, but Beale has personal reasons for coming back to Ibrox and feels at most home here.
This is the part QPR fans need to remember – Beale IS a man of his word, in fact, so much so that he rejected the Premier League in England for you. But the one job he’d drop it all for was the Rangers job, he just couldn’t say no to that one, and that’s how it ended up.
He feels like a ‘snake’ to you, but Beale could never have known he’d be offered Ibrox only a month after Wolves.
“Michael Beale is a lovely fella and a very good young coach. There’s going to be a lot of pressure for Michael because they’re competing with a very good Celtic team at the moment and he’ll know what will happen if he doesn’t hit the ground running.”
Beale is well-respected by his peers in the game, indeed the only ones to hate him are all those connected with Loftus Road, as Rangers fans did Steven Gerrard re: Aston Villa a year ago.
But time does heal. Sort of.