49ers could seal astonishing Rangers return for Michael Beale as ex boss poses issue for 'likely' next manager

Michael Beale could make a jaw dropping return to Rangers as part of the 49ers revolution - but that could prove a sticking point for the new manager.

The former boss was heralded as the brains behind Premiership title 55 five years ago in some quarters and left when manager Steven Gerrard headed for Aston Villa. Beale’s second coming as the leading man proved difficult, lasting less than a year and leaving fans irked after a poor recruitment drive tasked the club with another rebuild. He’s also been sacked by Sunderland after a disappointing spell at the Black Cats since leaving Rangers.

A new era is dawning after another poor campaign with interim manager Barry Ferguson not appearing likely to get the Rangers manager job full time. Now out of work after time at Aston Villa and El Ettifaq, it is suggested ‘the most likely scenario is for Steven Gerrard to return as manager’ according to the Daily Express.

49ers lead next Rangers manager search

Technical chief of 49ers Enterprises and former footballer Gretar Steinsson is leading Rangers’ charge for a new gaffer, it’s suggested. The American-based investment wing of the San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise are closing in on a takeover but they could bring with them a blast from the not so distant past in Gerrard, the Liverpool icon who remains the last man to win Rangers a title.

Beale - who has also worked with Gerrard at Al Ettifaq - could prove a tricky factor in the deal, however. The report claims: “His knowledge of the Scottish game and the fact he is the only manager to deliver a title for Rangers since Walter Smith was in charge gives him the edge and his appointment would be a sign the investors believe the club can challenge Celtic for the title straight away. One sticking point could be the return of another Rangers boss Michael Beale, who the Scottish Express understands would be part of Gerrard's backroom team. Despite a huge win percentage of over 72% in his 43 games in charge, his failure to beat Celtic in a meaningful match and patchy transfer record left a bad taste for many supporters.”

Beale’s Rangers assessment

The former Rangers and Sunderland boss said of his Ibrox sacking last year to the Mindset for Sport podcast: “The new season starts, we won eight, drew two and lost four and I left. I think if we had explained a bit better about the process we were going through, it could have prolonged. It is sad the way it ended for me personally, I’m listening and looking at what the chairman has said and come out for Philippe Clement, which I think is really important because we didn’t communicate like that last year, when the situation was exactly the same.

“Rangers needed a bit of a turnover of players, and financially the wages, getting into the Champions League and the bonuses the players got - that had to come down again. They’re the things people don’t see. For the young students who are listening and maybe want to follow that pathway, what are my skills? My skills are coaching and managing and developing football players. I was thrust into a situation that was a little bit alien to all the skills that I had.

“Thankfully for me, the new CEO James Bisgrove, he did all the contract negotiations, all the financial stuff. That wasn’t anything I was involved in - how much we were paying for players or wages. But certainly in that period from April through leaving Rangers in October, I wasn’t able to spend as much time on the training pitch as I did before. I was basically being pulled. The losing of a sporting director and a CEO, as a young manager, that was crucial to me.”