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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Michael Beale takes on Rangers critics as he warns 'this team is not as broken as people think'

Defiant Michael Beale has insisted Rangers are not "as broken as people think" after his return from QPR.

It's been a lacklustre campaign at Ibrox so far this season with title rivals Celtic surging nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, while the return to the Champions League group stage ended with a the worst points return in Europe's elite competition. Beale has taken over at Rangers after Gio van Bronckhorst was dismissed and insisted there is still a quality squad at the club.

Beale pointed to the run to the Europa League final as proof that the core of the group were still capable of returning Rangers to their top form, with the run to Seville six months ago seeming like a distant memory for supporters. After leave QPR the boss has pledged to have some tough conversations to make sure players are "all in."

He told Sky Sports: "I need to look in people's eyes and know they are here for the right reasons, that they are moving forward. Regardless of age, are they playing for Rangers and are they all in?

"Are they working every day for Rangers, are they being a good teammate, are they good around the place? These things are what is important to me, and that is what has been spoken about behind the scenes.

"I told them I have got a big belief in them, otherwise I wouldn't have wanted to come back. It's a privilege to be here working with them, but I think we need to have a bit of a shake and an honest conversation and get back to standards.

"The players play, and the coaches come up with various ideas on how to play. But the players put their boots on and go out on the pitch.

"Six months ago this was the Europa League finalists. That is what I got offered, to come and work with the Europa League finalists.

"That is a privilege but this team is not as broken as people think. If people think that outside then the only people can change that is the people inside.

"We have got to go out now, there is no time to wait. If people aren't all in they can go to one side, and the people that are, I will move forward with those."

He also offered a defence of Van Bronckhorst's time at the club that allowed Ange Postecoglou's side to surge nine points clear at the top of the table. Beale went on: "I think the injuries have played a massive part (on form).

"I think after such a high at the end of the season and winning the Scottish Cup straight after has had an impact on one or two, but I think the injuries have been such a big impact in terms of consistency. Every club needs their best players fit rather than not, and I think that led to a situation where results went the wrong way.

"I think Gio is an excellent professional and he comes across so well as a man of high class. There was a tinge of sadness and then opporuntity came for me to come back."

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