Steven Gerrard could bring controversial ex Rangers man to club as pundit makes case in Mo Johnston comparison

A shock Rangers return for one marmite ex Ibrox man has been given the thumbs up by one pundit.

Michael Beale cuts a divisive figure at Ibrox after two contrasting spells with the club. First time around, he was credited as the coaching brains behind title 55 under Steven Gerrard but he lasted less than a year as the manager, with poor recruitment marring his time in charge.

Gerrard is now strongly linked with becoming Rangers manager for a second time and the Open Goal pundits have been debating the merits behind the ex boss bringing Beale back for a third go at Rangers. He’s also managed Sunderland and coached again with the Liverpool icon at Al Ettifaq since leaving Glasgow.

Michael Beale to Rangers endorsed

Ex Rangers star Derek Ferguson knows what the reception would be like in some quarters but compared it to the impact Mo Johnston had at the club after joining from Celtic, winning two league titles. He said: “You know my feelings on Beale. But see if it is Steven Gerrard and if he's going to feel comfortable and he's going to... just be the coach and that's your side of it. I'd be alright with that. I would welcome him back. There you go.

“That's somebody that I was really upset with, Beale, at the time. You're talking about Philippe Clement talking a lot of nonsense at times, you thought Beale had invented football the way he spoke. But then if his role is there to coach the players, to make them better on the grass, that’s what it is all about. They forget, it’s like Mo Johnston. They sign Mo, the fans, uproar. Then once he starts putting him on the bag or in it, they start flooding back.”

Fellow ex Rangers man Gordon Dalziel added: “I agree with you. If you're going to have a partnership, the partnership's important. You're right in your saying, if Rangers had to go on and all of a sudden start closing that gap to Celtic, that's what they're looking for.”

Steven Gerrard Rangers return not backed

Dalziel did admit earlier in the conversation though that a fresh set of eyes was perhaps needed in Govan. He said: “They are a wee bit mixed bag with him. I think they hold him so highly for what he achieved in that league campaign when they had to stop Celtic. And people say, well, that's what he's brought in for.

“He won one out of nine. Everybody talks about the players in Europe, he signed a lot of bad players as well, let's be honest. But my big thing is, he's a manager, right? I can't see him being a coach. So Beale was the one that apparently done all the stuff and that's how they worked as a partnership.

“Gerrard's went to Aston Villa and went to Saudi. It's not really worked for him but I don't think that's just saying a bad manager. I think, like, everybody and people will know, you've got to fail sometimes to know what you're all about and become a better person, a better manager and whatever. If I was taking over Rangers right now, I would not go for Steven Gerrard. I think it needs a freshness and moving forward and everything with it.”