Greg Stewart has told Rangers not to waste another minute after urging his old side make their move for Michael Beale.
The former Ibrox ace can’t get his head around why it took the Light Blues board so long to realise that Gio van Bronckhorst’s time in Govan was up. But having burned through the first week of the World Cup shutdown weighing up their decision to sack the Dutchman, he’s called on Rangers chiefs to make a swift move for Steven Gerrard’s former No.2 Beale.
Stewart spent two years working with the bookies’ odds-on favourite for the job, now back in London managing QPR, and is convinced he’s the man to get Rangers back on track. He told RecordSport : “Mick would be the first guy I’d call. I worked with Michael during my two years at the club and he did so much on the training pitch. Off the pitch too, the way he gets his point across with such clarity is impressive. As a player, he makes sure you know your job on and off the ball.
“It’s all about the finer detail and the knowledge you need and that makes him someone you want to listen to. When I spoke with him, I’d try to take in as much as I could because you know what he tells you will make you a better player.
“But he’s not just someone who’ll be your mate. He’s got that steeliness that all top bosses have and allows them to lay down the law.
“I know for a fact he’s well respected by the boys at the club who worked with him. Believe me, the ones who haven’t would only take a week or two to start thinking the same.
“I saw he’s just knocked Wolves back. I listened to him speak after that and he said he’d rejected that offer because he’s got a project at QPR. But I don’t know what he’d do if Rangers came calling because there’d be a big emotional lure there.
“I know he and his family loved their time up here. “I just wouldn’t waste another second. I’d go call him or his agent now and see what he’s thinking. If he’s up for it, Rangers should go for it because he’s the man for the job.”
Van Bronckhorst almost made history by leading Gers to Europa League glory last season. But this season has been a disaster at home and abroad and Stewart admits he raised eyebrows when the board opted to retain faith in the manager after this month’s slip-up at St Johnstone given the clear evidence things were going awry at Ibrox.
The Mumbai City hitman said: “The last couple of months have been very poor. “It’s hard for me to say that because I know a lot of the boys and know what they’re capable of. But the fact that these top players have fallen so far below their top level tells me something is not right and a change had to happen.
“I don’t know everything that’s happened but a few of the boys I’ve spoken to have said it was the easiest pre-season they’ve had. “It just got to the point where it looked like the players didn’t want to play for the manager anymore. It looked to me like Gio lost the players in the end.
“I just don’t know how it’s taken the board this long to make their mind up. There’s been no direction under Gio for a while. For me, after the St Johnstone game it should have been boom - let’s get someone in ASAP knowing there’s a World Cup break coming up, with five weeks for the new boss to get his ideas across. The boys look like they need a new voice in there to give them a lift.”
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