Michael Beale is a big believer if you dress the part, you’ll feel the part.
That’s why this living embodiment of the tracksuit coach will be ditching the hoody and joggy bottoms for the brown brogues and blazer when he makes his dugout debut against Hibs in two weeks’ time. Of course, he could hardly expect to get away with anything else given the sartorial expectations that come with being appointed manager of Rangers.
The new emperor of Ibrox had the chance to try out his new togs on Thursday as he sat down for his official unveiling in the Blue Room. In a setting where history and tradition drips from the walls, Beale could not ignore the fact that standards have slipped since he and Steven Gerrard left for Aston Villa just over a year ago. It may be little things like allowing the first-team to pitch up at home games in their club issued Castore trackies, but they’ve added up to a nine-point deficit that means Gers are already all but out of the title race before December’s barely got underway.
So in his first act as boss, the first-team have been told they’ll be expected to turn up at Ibrox on match days suited and booted. He’s dressed to impress but Beale isn’t about to start making bold declarations about overturning Celtic ’s huge lead at the top of the table.
Instead, his first priority is to re-establishing the sense of identity that ran through this team as they strutted their way to the league crown without losing a game only 18 months ago. “I know the traditions,” he said. “It’s a traditional football club, an institution.
“As we modernise football, some of the traditions are very important to the culture of the club. So the players will go back to wearing suits on match days at home as well.
“I think you have got to know that you are coming to a club that is different to the norm. When you come to this club, there are traditions and I would like to stay close to them and as close as possible to them. When you come in, you should know about this club and know what it stands for.
“There is a certain element of class that we want to portray and I think the element of putting that suit on to come here on a matchday, it is just a mental thing for me. It shouldn’t be lost.”
Lost is a pretty succinct way of describing how Gers looked during the final days of Gio van Bronckhorst’s reign. Yet it’s only six months since the Dutchman almost guided Gers to the Europe League promised land. The knee jerk reaction would be to throw out all that his predecessor implemented but instead Beale-ball is likely to be a blend of all the things the Ibrox squad has enjoyed over the Gerrard and Gio eras.
“I think my ideas are just slightly different and each coach has to implement that,” he said. “When you talk about identity I also think you have to realise what the fans want.
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“And over three and a half years I think it’s fair to say I heard what they didn’t want and maybe saw what they did. So I’m looking forward to making the them align to their hopes.
“I think we need to play on the front foot, I think we need to press more and be more aggressive. Yeah, I asked the players the question about which style they preferred. Obviously that will remain private.
“There was certainly things they really loved about the last year. So we’ll add it all together.
“I have to collaborate with the players, I don’t think I can be a dictator. To a certain extent I can set what I want and say what I want. But it would be foolish of me not to collaborate with this group of players. I have to work with them and I think that’s the way modern football is going now.
"Listen, there are a lot of players here I’m comfortable working with. But that won’t stop me making the big decisions now.”
Getting a clean bill of health would certainly aid Beale’s prospects. But he may have a while to wait yet before the list of 10 injured first-team stars clears completely.
“We are probably still a couple of months away from everyone being available,” said the gaffer.
“Kemar Roofe is back training, he has trained the last two days and looked very sharp. I don’t want to rush him, I want a strong Kemar Roofe back. There is physical fitness and then there is the mental state that one or two are playing in as well.
“I’m trying to remove one or two clouds. In this football club, when you don’t get good results the pressure does different things to different people. I’m trying to change the mindset, change the energy around it. In terms of specifics for players, I don’t want to go into specifics right now.
“But what I would say is that everyone is chomping at the bit to get back. We have been having meetings with the players prior to training so the injured players can sit in and around that. I think once everyone is fit and available our squad looks strong and it is important we get people back sooner rather than later.”
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