Fresh optimism has been injected into Rangers’ season after a deserved win over Real Betis, but Michael Beale remains under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead.
Rangers produced an impressive second-half display over the La Liga side to secure a successful return to the Europa League - a competition that holds special memories. A triumphant roar echoed around Ibrox as Rangers emerged victorious in their first outing in the competition since the heartache of losing to Frankfurt in the final in Seville.
Beale faced increasing pressure from his own supporters following the Champions League exit to PSV and the subsequent defeat to Celtic when Rangers failed to lay a glove on their understrength arrival.
Calls for Beale’s dismissal were subdued after victory against St Johnstone and Betis yielded two clean sheets but the Englishman knows it’s imperative to maintain positivity with a win over a resurgent Motherwell on Sunday.
“As a team, it’s important that we don’t speak too much and get on with winning football matches,” Beale said. “There’s been a lot said about us and we need to change the narrative.
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“It will be a completely different challenge obviously [to Betis]. Motherwell have got a fantastic record and they’ve not lost in nine months away from home. It’s an interesting game at the weekend and they’ve had a free week to look at us.
“It’s important that we don’t have too many pats on the back and recover well. We are right in the thick of the action now with six games in 21 days. When you win, you want the next game to come quickly and we’re lucky that happens this week.”
Motherwell will travel to Ibrox empowered by an incredible away record, unbeaten in nine Scottish Premiership games under Stuart Kettlewell. It’s been 25 years since Motherwell tasted victory over Ibrox in the league, courtesy of Owen Coyle’s winner, and they face an uphill task to preserve their point advantage in the league table.
Rangers will be without several key players in central midfield and that could throw up an interesting subplot. For the second consecutive game, Rangers were devoid of any Scottish players in their starting eleven but excitement is growing about a potential gem within the academy ranks, Bailey Rice.
The prodigiously talented midfielder doesn’t turn 17 until next month but he could feature on Sunday against his former club and former youth teammate, and fellow Scottish prospect, Lennon Miller.
“Bailey is a player with a lot of potential,” Beale added. “He’s trained with us for a long time through pre-season and he’s been ready for a while to be in and around the squad. It’s another step to play in front of 50,000 and the physicality of men. He’s a player that I really like but there are other players in the academy and I don’t just want to highlight him. There’s an opportunity for him to play and Kieran Dowell will be back next week. It’s a chance for players to step up and make that shirt their own. The nicest thing over the last few weeks has been seeing Kemar Roofe finish games and having Tom Lawrence back in.
“We have four injuries with Kieran [Dowell], Todd [Cantwell], Nico [Raskin] and Danilo. There’s some quality there missing but we still have 20 outfield players available and training. I trust one or two of the younger players to step up this season - it’s when, not if, they make that step up. When you’re at this club, you want to play 60 games a season and this is why we built this squad. Hopefully, at the end of this batch of games, we will be praising the size and strength of the squad.”
While Borna Barisic claimed victory over Motherwell was reminiscent of the ‘old Rangers’, Beale refused to overemphasise the importance of the result and that message was reiterated by players who, unlike Barisic, are yet to experience success in Glasgow.
Rabbi Matondo’s recent redemption arch has been a shining light amongst recent darkness and the Welshman hopes the scalp over Betis can be the catalyst to a brighter future.
He said: “I hope it really pushes us and helps us really believe that we can get results against every team. We are a team and it was a good result for everyone. It was an unbelievable feeling with the crowd right behind us. It can’t just be about big European nights and I pray they continue to support us like that in every game. They are so vital to what we are trying to achieve on the pitch.”
While Matondo has resurrected his Rangers career recently, Dujon Sterling is patiently awaiting his chance to impress. The 23-year-old rejected approaches from English Premier League clubs to join his former Chelsea coach Beale at Ibrox.
Replacing James Tavernier at right-back represents a daunting task but Sterling is likely to be provided an opportunity as Rangers face three home games in a week and he insists the squad remain united amidst criticism.
“It can be depressing in the days after a defeat but it’s about how you bounce back and we’ve remained strong as a team,” Sterling admitted. “There’s been noise outside it’s about what we believe on the inside and hopefully our performances can match our results. The main objective is to win all the home coming up and hopefully, it can spark our season as we are still in all four trophies.”
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