If have been following some of the fan frenzy surrounding the appointment of Michael Beale as the new Rangers boss, you’d think he can walk on water. But with Celtic a commanding nine points ahead in the league, former Manchester United and Liverpool star, Paul Ince, believes that the ex-QPR manager has a tough job ahead of him.
Ince, currently the manager of Reading FC, must have been surprised to see one of his rival bosses in the English Championship heading back to Ibrox. Especially since it is believed that he had turned down the opportunity to go to Wolves around a month earlier.
Ince was a terrific player for West Ham United, Manchester United, Liverpool and the England national team and spent time at Inter Milan too. Even if he has been slow to build his managerial career, he finds himself at a good level now, with Reading 8th in the Championship and in contention for a playoff spot.
After a 3-0 friendly win against Bayer Leverkusen all seems rosy around Ibrox and a number of their fans seem to be using the term ‘Bealeball’. It is safe to say that there will be much tougher tests ahead though.
Ince sends Celtic quality warning to Beale
As reported by the Daily Record, Ince said about the Beale to Rangers situation to Lord Ping:
"“I understand why QPR fans feel disrespected but maybe it was a job that can’t turn down. There’s going to be a lot of pressure for Michael because they’re competing with a very good Celtic team at the moment.“He’ll know what will happen if he doesn’t hit the ground running. Michael has a very tough job ahead of him so I hope he gets time and money to spend to show what he can do.”"
It remains to be seen what kind of financial backing Beale gets, considering a lot was not handed to Van Bronckhorst in the summer despite the club’s run to the Europa League final, qualification for the Champions League and the big money exit of Calvin Bassey.
In direct contrast, over at Celtic, speculation continues on how many more signings the club will make in January, with two new players already confirmed before the window even opens.
The Hoops also have a likely mega offer coming their way in the future, given the performances of Josip Juranovic at the World Cup.