Rangers assistant coach Neil Banfield and Michael Beale’s own…well… ‘Michael Beale’, has come under massive fire for a truly disastrous press conference which only served to ignite some Rangers fans’ rage over the state of the current regime and just how badly the present hierarchy are running the squad.
From delusional comments, to soundbites some Ibrox supporters believe resemble gaslighting, to further commentary admitting he didn’t know what the formation or indeed system Michael Beale is using, the quotes were absolutely latched onto by a great chunk of the Rangers fanbase for the abysmal media performance it was.
One or two more magnanimous Rangers souls tried to defend him in the face of the torrent of criticism he was facing, and they were right to say the man is human and can make mistakes, but ultimately talking to the press is a huge part of being involved with Rangers and people like Banfield clearly need schooling in what not to say.
In short it was a disaster of a performance, and he didn’t make life any easier for Beale by boasting of the squad, of the results v Servette and PSV, and generally bigging up things which unfortunately don’t deserve such an accolade.
Some argue Banfield’s job was to sell the club, the manager, and the squad, and keep it positive – unfortunately it rather ignored reality as well, and the fans were very quick to notice that.
As we discussed on Ibrox Noise yesterday, it is important to balance reality and emotion, to be positive where possible but not pull wool over eyes and try to insult intelligence. We are fans and that will always be our basis.
But Banfield sadly was unable to produce any comments which most fans can relate to, and that was a huge problem.
Only tonight, actor Ruper Everett (this is going somewhere) gave an interview where he discussed how he hates doing so, because he has to be careful what he says in light of forgetting it’s an interview and instead interpreting it as an ‘informal chat’. Every word has to be carefully chosen and many in the media’s various forms get schooled on how to deal with the press, rather than babbling away like you’re talking to your mates.
Unfortunately, Banfield, while maybe not going that far, didn’t treat it as a professional press conference and more of a ‘defend my mates at all costs’-type session as if it was a private interrogation and not what it actually was.
And he really didn’t do well at all.
Not, of course, that Michael Beale himself does a lot better, in fairness. But Banfield just gave fuel to the critics.
Sadly, that probably includes Ibrox Noise. And thousands upon thousands of others.
Maybe keep him away from the mic from now on.