Next Rangers manager: QPR boss among favourites and he gets key backing

Kenny Miller believes QPR boss Michael Beale should feature prominently on the shortlist to replace Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Rangers manager.
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The Ibrox club sacked the Dutchman on Monday, a year after he was appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor.

Beale was a highly-regarded coach under Gerrard at Ibrox and more recently at Aston Villa before branching out on his own to become QPR boss in June.

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Former Ibrox striker Miller feels the 42-year-old – who has emerged as the odds-on favourite with bookmakers – is the standout option to succeed Van Bronckhorst.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst.Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

“There’s loads of names that spring to mind, you’ve got the likes of Sean Dyche who’s got connections to (Rangers sporting director) Ross Wilson, the same with Ralph Hasenhuttl,” Miller told Sky Sports.

“One for me that would be right at the top of the list would be Michael Beale. His name’s been bandied about over the last month while Rangers have been toiling.

“I think he fits, he knows the club, he knows the players. There would be no surprises with him walking back into the building in terms of the demands and the expectations of the football club and he’s started off his own journey as a manager pretty well as well so I think he’d be right at the top of the list.”

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Miller acknowledged his former Rangers team-mate Van Bronckhorst had to deal with difficult circumstances but he had no arguments with the decision to sack him.

“The injuries to some key players, particularly Tom Lawrence and Connor Goldson, are huge,” said Miller. “Particularly Goldson, when you see the Rangers defence at the moment.

“They’ve been giving up goals, it’s been a really inexperienced centre-back pairing so he’s been a big loss. I feel the recruitment done in the summer has not really come to fruition as yet.

“Maybe there’s a bit of development required in these signings in terms of settling into a new club, in a new city, where there are a lot of demands put on you. But ultimately the results have cost Gio,” he added.