Ibrox Noise had to laugh when Rangers manager Michael Beale got linked yesterday with the England job, along with his Celtic counterpart and the former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, not to mention, ludicrously, Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Not to mention ex-Parkhead manager Brendan Rodgers.
That’s right, with current incumbent Gareth Southgate considering his future following his country’s exit to France in the World Cup, the bookies are now going nuts over numbers and odds, and are comically including Beale at 30/1 which, let me tell you, is a bizarre odd.
But Gio? Same odds, and the Celtic guy, fractionally longer at 33. The favourite as things stand is former Spurs and PSG supremo Mauricio Pochettino, who is 4/1, but we’re not overly interested in the England job, just the fact Beale is even included in this, not to mention ex-boss Gio who has about as much chance of getting the England job as yours truly does of getting dragged into a three way with Pixie Lott and Margot Robbie.
The point is that odds are all about making money, and anyone with an Old Firm connection seems to be getting linked, and during the time of compiling this piece, Beale has lengthened to 40/1.
Rodgers, in fact, is now second favourite, and Steven Gerrard is at 16/1.
The point? The fact Rangers’ brand-new manager Michael Beale’s name is being mentioned goes to show that it really is about making money, as if we didn’t know, ditto that of ex-Ibrox manager Gio van Bronckhorst.
In fairness, Steven Gerrard is actually possible, if not probable, and Gareth Southgate is still only positing his future as things stand so it may all be moot.
But contrary to what Queens Park Rangers fans want from the man they label a ‘snake’, Michael Beale is not quitting Rangers for the England job. And we’d be absolutely amused and beyond reproach if the Celtic guy or Rodgers was even approached.
Gerrard? He’s possible, and so is Pochettino, but it won’t be anyone from the SPL, that’s for sure. Beale is at Ibrox for quite a while, no distractions would be welcome.