Rangers manager Michael Beale has dropped a staggering hint that he is ready to extend Allan McGregor’s deal at Ibrox by praising his contribution to the club, his fitness levels, and that the veteran stopper is ‘not finished yet’.
In yet more absolute hogwash from the manager, contradicting his comments of a few months ago where he explained McGregor couldn’t go on forever and he’d be looking at his situation come the summer, the boss has now embarrassed himself yet again with a preposterous about-turn that will endear himself to no one.
If there’s one thing, one rare thing we Rangers fans actually agree on these days, it’s that Allan McGregor is beyond finished, the 41-year-old evidently absolutely past it and his performances typifying how completely done he now is.
So for Beale to come out and imply he’s going to extend his contract is some of the most tone-deaf piffle we’ve heard from him since the last stupid thing he said.
“To achieve 500 games for Rangers is a very special achievement, very few have done it in the past and certainly to the age that Allan’s played and the achievements he’s had at the club. In the time I’ve worked with him here, it’s probably the best part of 200, 250 games. He’s been absolutely outstanding and some of the saves he’s made, there’s too many to mention, but every season he’s earned us points, he’s won us games, he’s got us through to the next round in cup competitions. When you look at him day in, day out, there’s no secrets. It’s hard work, preparation, dedication to your craft and always intrigued and open-eyed in terms of learning and wanting to get better. This is a man in his 40s who trains every day like a teenager and he’s watching and learning all the time, he’s self-reflective, very self-critical if you like, he’s willing to take feedback on and just wants to win and get better. If that can’t rub off on you as a young player, and everyone in the squad is younger than him, so everybody in the squad, if that can’t rub off on you, you’re not opening your eyes to better yourself. He’s been a cornerstone of everything that’s been good about this club since I came in 2018 and I think he can be hugely proud and he’s not finished yet. It’ll be 500 and something, it won’t end at 500. The service that he’s given this football club, as a young boy coming through our academy, is outstanding.”
‘It won’t end at 500’ is a further hint that really isn’t going to sell the idea to fans.
Rangers absolutely 100% need AT LEAST two new goalies, probably three, and McGregor 10000% cannot be one of them.
It would go deeply into embarrassment if McGregor stays on the playing staff for a further season after this one. We’d advise Beale to rethink both his words and the strategy here…