- Beale sacked after home defeat to Aberdeen
- Three defeats in seven league matches for Rangers
- Davis placed in interim charge
Rangers took decisive action on Sunday following a string of disappointing performances in the Scottish Premiership relieving manager Michael Beale of his duties after a third defeat in seven games. The club had also suffered a disappointing Champions League exit to PSV Eindhoven. In a move to steady the ship, the club turned to fan-favourite Steven Davis, who will assume an interim managerial role.
Beale sacked after Ibrox loss to Aberdeen
The final straw came with a 3-1 loss to Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday, prompting heightened calls for Beale’s departure and resulting in players being met with boos as they left the field.
As it stands, the Light Blues find themselves in third place, trailing rivals Celtic by seven points at the top of the table.
Ahead of their Europa League clash with Aris Limassol in Cyprus on Thursday evening, Rangers released an official statement outlining the managerial changes.
“The Rangers board would like to put on record their thanks to Michael and his staff for their efforts since joining the club last November,” the statement said.
“Results this season have fallen short of what everyone connected to Rangers would expect. Therefore, the decision was reached today to terminate the contract of the manager … The club is pleased to announce that Steven Davis will lead the interim management team.
“The team will consist of former Rangers player and hugely experienced coach Alex Rae, former player and current coach Steven Smith, coach Brian Gilmour and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart.”
While former midfielder Davis’ contract had officially concluded at the close of the previous season, the club had been allowing him to use their facilities for his rehabilitation following a serious knee injury.
Following his dismissal, Beale called for unity within the club, sharing his sentiments on Instagram:
“I will always follow and support the club,” Beale stated.
“Now is the time for everyone to unite fully behind Steven Davis and the team in the coming games.
“There is still so much to play for this season and I have a strong belief in this group of players. Thank you and good luck.”
Betting Implications
Bettors need to decide whether Beale’s sacking will make a positive or negative impact to Rangers. They are currently in third place in the table and trail leaders Celtic by seven points after seven matches.
Muscat early favourite for permanent job
Former Rangers player Kevin Muscat is the early favourite to land the job on a permanent basis. At the time of writing Betfred have Muscat at 3/1 with interim manager Davis and former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter at 5/1. Kjetil Knutsen and Jesse Marsch are 8/1. Odds are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
Check the best Scottish Premiership betting sites and the best UK bookies for football at Betting.com
