Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Rangers v Hibernian - Ibrox, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - December 15, 2022 Rangers manager Michael Beale before the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Keith Jackson believes that Steve Davis can do a Callum McGregor job for Micky Beale.
The veteran midfielder made a 25 minute appearance off the bench against Hibs last week and seems to have given the side some know-how to get over the line against the Edinburgh side.
Jackson described Davis as a Rolls-Royce which probably says more about Ryan Jack and Glen Kamara being unable to master a side that arrived at Ibrox on the back of six defeats in seven matches.
Beale will now have to chose how much mileage he can get out of his Roller during this week’s trips to Aberdeen and Dingwall in the knowledge that any dropped points could see the gap at the top of the table extended to double figures.
Reviewing the first performance of the former QPR boss, Jackson tells Daily Record readers:
Beale also deserves credit for overseeing a storming salvage mission at the start of the second half, immediately after which Steven Davis was sent on to add some much needed composure and ring craft to the proceedings.
And what happens next in terms of how Beale choses to deploy this veteran Northern Irishman may have a large part to play in his own managerial fate.
Yes, Davis will turn 38-years-old before Celtic first foot Ibrox on January 2 and he may lack the kind of energy levels which make McGregor such a keystone in Postecoglou’s midfield but, despite his advancing years, Davis retains the qualities of a Rolls Royce and the ability to direct the rest of the traffic from the centre of the pitch.
Put it this way, he ought to have had a far greater influence on his team than he has been allowed to over the last 18 months of underuse and Beale may already have identified his true value.
Like many others at Ibrox Davis is out of contract in May, on January 1 he will celebrate his 38th birthday.
Was that the same Davis who directed McLaughlin to kick the ball straight to Turnbull, under no pressure whatsoever, to set up our fourth goal against them back in September? That was his sole contribution in that game, where he looked more like Del Boy’s old yellow Reliant than a Rolls Royce.
More like Roy’s Rolls than Rolls Royce.
Lol all these players that are at ibrox just now failed in the league last season and this season,as well some serious SKELPINGS dished in both the league and champions league,all of a sudden the same players there are winners.
Hence the ground being layed to tell the klan there’s no dosh for new players to come in.
The problem with being a Rolls Royce is it is a big lump of heavy , slow materials , when something goes badly wrong with it ,it is out of commission for ages as the parts are too hard to come by . Not only that ,the fortune it costs to keep the ugly thing running is astronomical ! When it comes time to sell the damned thing ,it is out of most people’s price range ,so it sits there doing nothing ,getting older ,creakier and much less valuable … Scotland’s most ,erm ,influential scoop forgot to mention that …
Editor: The Roller picked up a knock against Hibs and will be in the garage for the Aberdeen match.