Articles

As With The Lennon Appointment, Ibrox Looks Close To Home And A Shortlist Of One.

|
Image for As With The Lennon Appointment, Ibrox Looks Close To Home And A Shortlist Of One.

I’m supposed to be off for the next few days, but I have a feeling that I am going to need to keep close to the PC because the Ibrox operation is about to embark on its latest Road To Nowhere. If all the reports are to be believed, it’s going to be Beale.

I’ll cover it properly when the announcement is made. But there are plenty of reasons for thinking that it will be a disaster before it even starts.

What intrigues me is the whole aura of make believe which surrounds it, and in particular this idea that some list is being whittled down to a shortlist and that it’s from this group of top candidates that a decision will come.

It’s cobblers as any sentient person must surely already know. Sky Sports tonight ran with the story that Ibrox will “seek permission to talk to Beale” tonight; why even bother?

Nobody at QPR will be fooled by an “official approach” at this stage.

What the Ibrox club has done here is as close to tapping a manager as you’ll ever get and the London team should not only get their due compensation but should insist on sanctions as well.

Their “shortlist” is what it says on the tin. A short list. Of one.

It’s like when Lawwell stood outside Celtic Park on the day of Rodgers’ departure and said we were looking at multiple candidates just to give Lennon the gig hours later. That was a similarly short list, as was the one which led to his getting the job in the Hampden shower.

When a club does business this way it has run out of ideas, and heads need to roll. Ibrox isn’t really expecting to fool anyone with this “shortlist” business any more than Lawwell was when he talked the exact same garbage.

The decision to sack Van Bronckhorst was a product of fear, and as I said last night – and this is not the piece I have in mind for the song – You’re A Whole Different Person When You’re Scared, and you don’t make rational decisions.

They, like Celtic, went for a warm body who “knows the club.” Therefore, someone who can come in right away and be familiar with the squad and the basics. But it’s a rare thing, indeed, for that to end in anything but disaster. The old familiar patterns are what got them here. Business as usual isn’t a solution for a club in crisis.

Lennon, at least, inherited a Rolls Royce. It took him 18 months to make it resemble a clapped out Skoda with the doors hanging off.

This will unravel a Hell of a lot quicker than that.

Share this article

0 comments

  • Martin says:

    Beale was tapped up weeks ago, that’s why he told Wolves to get lost. Don’t expect any sanctions, clubs from ivrox have a history of tapping managers and getting away with it.

    Beale is an interesting choice. He certainly was the brains behind their team under Gerrard. And, implode as we did, they still went a season unbeaten. His record at QPR is a bit at odds though and maybe he’s not really set out for managerial positions, but is a great assistant.

    He also has a past relationship with the current duds and I wonder how that would colour his dealings. Especially if he is given 40p and a packet of smarties as a transfer budget.

    I know his record when he doesn’t take over a well oiled machine is questionable, but frankly I think they’ve missed a trick with Muscat. A young forward thinking coach who plays attacking football and knows emerging markets. That might actually have done them some good. I do think he’s one to watch in a few years, he might even take over as Japan coach post World Cup.

    Ah well, let’s see how this all plays out. My suspicion is badly.

  • John smith says:

    Who cares what manager they get? If Celtic keep doing what we’re doing,all is well,,HH

  • Michael McCann says:

    Hope so

  • Effarr says:

    If he was the brain behind Gerrard in their successful year he must have been brainless during the other period.

    Muscat, if I remember, had good stuff to say about Ange so that would automatically bar him..

  • Martin.H says:

    They deserve Beale the guy is obviously trash so he will blend in. To be stupid enough to to talked into coming up to watch the aberdeen game and sit in the stand is vulture material. G.v.b. was to much of a nice guy for the garbage that sit in their boardroom, and run down stadium.

  • Denis Burns says:

    What will The Angers do? Will they go for Graeme Sourness or perhaps Michael Bile? Quite frankly Miss Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.

  • Johnny Green says:

    I think Beale will do a decent job for them, he’s not that bad a choice, but nothing for us to worry about and he should guarantee us a lot of successful years to come.

  • MArk B says:

    There was a two year spell when Gerrard/Beale Rangers were beating us easily time after time. They now have a weaker squad and Ange will keep the focus on us and what we do. We need to keep on winning and that pressure racks up on them. We got complacent last time Beale was here and he punished us, so lets not go there again.

  • Peterbrady says:

    God bless big doddie man I love you brother hail! Hail!

Comments are closed.