QPR boss Michael Beale is the clear frontrunner to take over as Rangers boss and the mood music is changing around Ibrox.
Going into the World Cup break under Gio van Bronckhorst the club were at a low point, trailing Celtic by nine points and turning in some turgid performances in both the Scottish Premiership and Champions League. The only sounds that could be heard in Paisley after the lacklustre draw with St Mirren were boos as captain James Tavernier led the players to the away stand to applaud the away support.
Now the message booming from former Rangers players is for the club to regroup and push Ange Postecogou's side as Beale prepares to step into the top job. Steven Gerrard's trusted lieutenant has stepped out on his own at Loftus Road but will be determined to prove he can stand alone in the roaring Ibrox cauldron in the hot seat.
There is a lengthy list of issues Beale will have to tackle as soon as he walks back inside Ibrox. As soon as he raises the red, white and blue scarf above his head the inbox of the computer inside the manager's office will be quickly filling up.
But what will be top of the list for Beale when he gets to work? Record Sport takes a look at some of the biggest issues on the agenda.
Solving contract headaches
Michael Beale knows the Rangers squad well and will have a fair idea of who he wants to remain at Ibrox during his tenure, but plenty has changed since his time as Steven Gerrard's number two. Notably, the form of both Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent has majorly slumped.
Winger Kent is free to speak to clubs from January and has made little impact this season under Gio van Bronckhorst with his role in the side altered. The Dutchman opted to have the former Liverpool kid touching the chalk in the wide position, and he has struggled to get to grips with the role. During Van Bronckhorst's first session as Rangers boss Roy Maakay ominously warned Kent that "tricks are for the circus" and signalled a changing role in the side. Since then he has netted just three goals including one this term, with five assists this term.
That's a far cry from his time under Gerrard and Beale when he netted 13 goals during the title-winning Scottish Premiership campaign with an average of 0.35 assists per game, which has dropped to 0.23 under Van Bronckhorst. He was also more likely to take players on during the Beale era, averaging eight dribbles per game in 2020/21 which has dropped to just five this term. Having brought Kent through the Liverpool academy and to Ibrox, getting Kent back to his best and tied down to a new deal will be high up on the wish list for Beale. Then, there is Morelos.
The Colombian has been a peripheral figure this season with Antonio Colak leading the line, and the 26-year-old has netted just three goals this term, and Beale faces a stick or twist call over the club's record European goalscorer. If he backs himself to get Morelos back to his best he could look to snap the player up on a new deal, but he could cash in on the frontman in January to boost his own transfer kitty.
The likes of Ryan Jack, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Filip Helander and Steven Davis are also free to speak to agree pre-contracts when the bells ring for new year. Can Beale keep the core of his squad together or will he want to?
Planning January additions
The sales of Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo have left a massive void in the Rangers squad that the additions in the summer window have failed to address. Now it's Beale who will work with sporting director Ross Wilson to address the issues.
Title rivals Celtic have got to work quickly with Yuki Kobayashi already agreeing at winter window arrival on January 1 and Rangers will want to avoid playing catch up. Gerrard and Beale managed to attract talented youngsters like Bassey and Aribo north of the border during their time at the club, and will be looking to do the same again.
A balance will have to be struck between adding new talent and creating a youth pathway, however Beale have previously proven he can manage the likes of Nathan Patterson's journey to the starting line-up before his big money sale to Everton. The likes of Leon King and Adam Devine will hope to stay in the first-team picture under the new boss. But with a lengthy injury list and summer recruits failing to live up to expectations so far there is little doubt it will be a busy January for Beale. And on that note...
Getting the best out of fresh faces
This is a pertinent point for Beale and something he must be relishing. Yes, the Ibrox dressing room has a familiar look to the one he left 12 months ago. But there were multiple new arrivals in the summer but two names stick out in terms of further development. Rabbi Matondo and Ridvan Yilmaz have both endured ominous beginnings. The former has flattered to deceive since a rip-roaring start in pre-season while the latter has been reduced to a peripheral figure amid a culture shock and an injury that has kept him on the sidelines.
Beale's MO for success is honed on the training ground and the lack of European football, in theory, should allow time for both Matondo and Yilmaz to thrive under his stewardship. And a word in particular for the Turkey international. Gerrard and Beale's best season en route to title glory in 2020/21 was based on a pair of rampaging full-backs in Borna Barisic and James Tavernier. Yilmaz is the identikit modern left-back who appears primed to show more than he has already. Malik Tillman falls into this bracket, of course, but the Bayern Munich loanee has brought more than the permanent signs who appear at a critical juncture in the fledgling Ibrox careers.
A new Beale?
The man who has penned books on coaching is certain to have some updates to his manuscript. Former players have warmly joked about Beale's obsession with tactics, formations and seeking an edge to leave the opposition flummoxed. His QPR have many of the hallmarks of the side which Rangers punters enjoyed but it's almost a guarantee Beale will have something fresh for the section of the dressing room who know his way of working. The familiarity with the 42-year-old will be welcomed by many but expect a tweak, either in tactics or personnel which leaves a telling impact.
How about the aforementioned Tillman dropping back a slot for domestic games to play as an eight? That would open a space for the returning Tom Lawrence or Alex Lowry to be the link man behind Colak or Morelos. A combination of Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Steven Davis was preferred before, however, the major complaint of Van Bronckhorst's tenure was an overly cautious approach to domestic games in which Rangers were favoured.
Finding answers to Celtic
Beale's verdict that Postecoglou's Celtic would not have won the league last season if he and Steven Gerrard stayed is the type of black and white comment which offers no hiding place. The tables have turned, of course, but the Ibrox boss in waiting knows that type of claim will hold little weight if he is unable to land a blow on the champions in the final three Premiership fixtures between the pair this season.
In fairness, Beale has spoken warmly about Postecoglou's ability as a manager but he will obviously he will believe he can burst the same Angeball which flattened Van Bronckhorst in two pulverising defeats at Parkhead which underlined Celtic as the best team in the country. Beale's actions in terms of tactics if he gets them right will speak louder than his words.
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