Rangers transfer latest and Kemar Roofe update - Micheal Beale's Q+A

Here is everything he had to say.

How important is control but also giving you attacking opportunities throughout a game?

If you get too many in front of the ball and you give it away the other teams' midfield can quickly get at your two centre-backs. It’s important that you have different lines in your team. Without getting too technical, you need to have no everybody in the same line in front of the ball. Midfielders are asked to come down and face forward and pass and run. I think that’s how we score with Ryan Jack, it’s how we score at Dundee United as well so I’m pleased. I think most football teams build that way and again it was a terrific game on a very difficult pitch at the weekend. I’m delighted that we’ve got through to the final. I thought Aberdeen played well in the game as well but I felt we were the stronger team and I’m delighted that we’ve made it through.

Do you have an update on Kemar Roofe?

He won’t be available for this game and probably this weekend as well. It’s a real sore one. He’s been away and he’s had the scan, he’s going to see somebody else just to get a second opinion on it. It’s an injury he’s had on the other side previously but it’s not a break in terms of dislocation. There’s a bit of separation at the top which just needs to take its time. For some people, it’s less time and for some other people, it’s more. It’s just how Kemar feels in the coming weeks and days. It’s a huge disappointment for him, for the fans and his teammates as well because he’s not just such a good player on the pitch, he’s very important around the building. He’s one of the more senior players and one of the more vocal ones.

He's been very unlucky with injury, hasn’t he?

Yeah, the club, this season, has been very unfortunate with injuries on the whole. If you look at Kem’s situation as well, that’s one of a number of players that have not enabled us to have some consistency in selection. In fairness, in the six or seven games since I’ve come back I’ve tried to settle things down and pick, pretty much, a core six or seven players in every game to give us that consistency because I think that breeds confidence in playing and the relationships on the pitch. It’s something that this season has not been ideal for myself or the previous manager.

Is there anybody coming back from injury for the game?

No, it will be the same squad from the weekend. James Sands will come back into the squad now.

Will Antonio Colak be back for the weekend?

Yeah, we’re very hopeful for the weekend but I don’t want to rush him for a couple of reasons. The pitch we’re training on this morning, we’re waiting to thaw out the undersoil heating. It’s still really hard and when you’ve had a calf/ankle injury it’s not an ideal surface. Obviously, tomorrow night’s surface is not ideal for that either and obviously, the cup game at the weekend is another big game for us.

What do you make of an artificial pitch in the Premiership?

I prefer to not have them but a lot of the generation of younger players now have come through playing on astroturf in academies or via school football anyway. It’s more the older generation that moans about it. Ideally, you wouldn’t have it but I understand why we do in Scotland with the weather and the finances involved in the league. It’s something I try not to make a big thing about. I just want to play the games. Obviously, Kilmarnock’s home form of late, one defeat in nine is very good so whether you want to read anything into that because the one defeat was against the other team that play on an artificial surface. It does give an advantage to the team that train and play on it every day but no excuses, we need to go there and play. It’s going to be a slightly better and truer surface than the one we played on on Sunday.

Are there any players you won’t select because of the pitch?

One or two just from the weekend. You’d think playing 120 minutes maybe we’ll naturally rotate the squad. We had some key players that came on in the game at the weekend and did well that are probably looking at me thinking, ‘Come on gaffer, when’s my chance to show that I can have a big impact on the season?’ It’s important that I pick and choose the moments. If that isn’t tomorrow night then it certainly will be on Saturday.

Can you give us some clarity on reports linking the club with Morgan Whittaker?

It’s a player that we know. I think he's a good player. There's no update on that yet. To be fair, he's just come back from a loan and is back at his parent club. They think he's done very well. He's Swansea's player, but he's certainly a player that I'm aware of from working down south. Knowing his background, I think he's a good player.

Is that a position you’re looking to reinforce?

We're looking at all areas, but obviously, we're looking to bring in more goals to the club. We've had injuries in the front line, we've not had Antonio or Kemar fit. Rabbi Matondo has had an ongoing problem with his knee so he's not been available. Alfredo has a contract situation and so does Ryan Kent. So it’s certainly an area that I’m looking at, whether it’s this window or the summer to make sure that we’re strong. We need goalscorers in the building.

Any update on Kent and Morelos’ contract situations?

No update.

Is there any update on Todd Cantwell?

There's no update just now but I'm really pleased with how things are moving. No news isn't necessarily bad news. Everyone is on the same line and everyone is moving in the right direction. That's not specifically speaking about that player, that's just things in general.

Do you want to get these players in as soon as possible?

I don't want any short-term gaps. For me, it's about bringing in players who I think can make a big impact moving forward. There are ongoing discussions with players who are out of contract, so we're trying to look at what the squad is going to look like in 2023, 2024 and onwards. In the past, we've made some key recruits that are still in the team now. It's important whatever decisions we make are the right ones. Naturally, I’m a little bit fussy at times in terms of that person. You can be where you want with the right player, you identify him and then discussions have to happen between the clubs and the agents. All that takes longer than what a coach would like but at the moment, with everything I'm hearing from behind the scenes I'm happy with the work that we’re doing.

You mentioned anxiousness in the team at the weekend - have you had a chance to look at that or correct on the training field?

Not since the weekend obviously, because we had a second day of recovery today, another big game. It's more things that we have to talk about, how we deal with certain moments and what we need from certain players in the team at different times. As I say we've had a lack of consistency in the starting XI so there has been a lack of strong voices. Connor Goldson missed large parts of the season but his and Ben Davies' partnership is now bearing fruit. John Lundstram has probably been the one mainstay of the leadership group in the team this year along with James Tavernier. The more we keep those players together, that will be the glue between my ideas and how we need to behave on the pitch at certain times.

Hopeful to get someone in by the weekend?

There is no timeline on it if I'm honest but by the end of this window we will either have done the business we want to do or it will happen in the summer. I am very, very confident that before long you will hear news on some signings.

In terms of Kemar Roofe's injury - any idea of a timeline?

It is up in the air at the moment, it is how Kem reacts to it in terms of the pain and then what the surgeon actually thinks we can do in the short term now. For some players it has been weeks, others months, that is the feedback I have been given by the physios.

What have you made of Borna Barisic's performances?

He has been essential to the balance across the park in terms of giving us that balance on the left. I still think you'll go a long way to find a better left-footed player in terms of his crossing and his delivery. We have switched off as a team in that moment at the weekend, we have recovered and won the game. It is gone, we move forward. Borna has been outstanding for this football club. My relationship with Borna is very strong and it will continue to be moving forward.

READ MORE: Why Malik Tillman must be Rangers' summer transfer priority

Does Roofe's injury change priorities in the transfer window?

I have a really clear mind on what we want this window and the next one to look like so when we return to pre-season at the start of July I have got a real clean idea of how I want this squad to look. It's not all going to work in one window where I want to take the team and evolve it over the next 12-18 months. I've got to be careful to make sure that I am here, so I have got to do a good job in the interim, I can't look too far forward. I think January is notoriously a difficult month, sometimes you get things fixed up that will become permanent in the summer and sometimes you can get things done now. What I don't want to do is rush for a short-term gap that doesn't take Rangers Football Club anywhere in the longer term. This is about building and probably having a 25 per cent turnover of this squad over the next two to three windows to make us really strong. That 25 per cent have to hit the ground running.

(Image: NQ)

Any update on Tom Davies?

There is no interest on our side towards Tom. There has been no talk about Tom, you caught me on the hop that day and I said a couple of nice things about him because he is a young British player who I saw coming through as a young player. I am pleased to see his progress, he plays for a fantastic football club and I think that is where he is going to be, he is not going to be a Rangers player in the future.

How close is Tom Lawrence to a return?

He had a slight setback and he went away to get an opinion. The opinion is 'okay let's see how things are going'. Some things he can do at this stage that someone that had that injury problem probably shouldn't be able to do. And he's had a bit of discomfort at times in areas that he shouldn't. It's slowly does it at the moment and there's not really much more to say than that. He is still not back with the group and we are just going to assess as we go how he feels and whether he can then start working with the group which will see a quick return or it doesn't go to plan and we have to look at an alternative.

Any timeline on that?

Unfortunately not. It's a disappointment for Tom and myself, but it is the reality of coming back from an injury. We have been able to bring some players back a lot quicker ie Ben Davies and John Souttar a lot quicker than planned. And then one like Tom it's just dragging on a little bit longer.

Will you get clarity on Kemar after the weekend?

I am looking for a quick diagnosis to that. That's why Kem has been away to see people. We have had the x-ray back. By the time I sit in front of you guys next, I will try to get some sort of clear understanding of where we are at because I think that is important. Kem is an important part of the team and it's important people know where we are with it.

Was a big loss with Steven Davis injury – something you can cover in-house until summer or does it need addressed now?

I think you’ve seen in the last few weeks between John Lundstram, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack that we’ve rotated. That’s been for different issues they’ve had. Now, they’ve got to fight it out because they’re all in a good place. We’ve also rotated a bit between Malik and Scott Arfield. At times we’ve played one in midfield and the other slightly further forward. Everyone knows where they stand. My job is to stand them next to each other outside so they can look at each other in the eyes and fight for the shirt. That’s it. I don’t feel that we need to bring someone in right now to replace Steven Davis and what he brought to this squad. What he brought was huge, we’re not able to replace it. He's a player who’s able to control the speed of the game. He’s a player that’s hugely experienced, he's a player that everyone in the dressing room listens to. I’m not going to be able to replace that with someone coming in from the outside straight away. By the end of this window and by the summer window I think you’ll see a player come in of that type. Then that player will, hopefully over time, do what Davo has done. Let’s not rule Steven Davis out yet though. He’s had the operation, he’s started he rehab and he’s got that look in his eyes, so let’s see.

READ MORE: How Michael Beale's Rangers are finding right-sided synergy

It was the best complete Ryan Kent performance under your tenure on Sunday and for a while in the jersey. How pleased are you with him?

On a personal level, I’m delighted with him in terms of his football. It was never in doubt in terms of his effort and energy. Some of the magic might not be there from time to time but he never shirks in terms of his work ethic. I think at the moment he’s able to cause a lot of disruption to teams because they’re unsure of where he’s going to be on the pitch. I’ve been really happy with him. It was another strong performance – running hard after 120 minutes. I think Ryan can be pleased with his form at the moment.

With injuries in forward areas, are we likely to see squad opportunities afforded to young lads such as Robbie Ure or Zak Lovelace from the B team?

Well, they’re playing a game here this afternoon at the training ground, so it’s a good time for one of them to play well.

There was some noise last week about Filip Helander possibly moving on this month. Is there any truth in that?

That’s news to me. He’s a player that I like and a man that I like. He’s one that when you come back into the building and see that he’s on crutches and now the crutches are disappearing you wonder ‘how far away is he?’. There’s no news on that at the minute. But yeah, I’ve not heard that rumour.

Have you had the chance to look at your own recruitment strategy or are you perhaps having to take inspiration from previous successes e.g., recruiting Calvin Bassey?

I was having this conversation a few days ago. If you’re a Premier League team with the hundreds of millions that they have there, we had an ideal scenario probably a year to 18 months ago when we had Calvin fighting out with Borna and we had Nathan fighting out with Tav. But where we’re situated in the world and the food chain of football we’ve had to sell those players for really good money and then you had to start that conveyor belt again. I think we’re seeing that with Adam Devine. He came on and did well again at the weekend. In terms of the recruitment strategy, I know the recruitment strategy at this club and it’s something that I believe in. It was something I was heavily involved in before if you think, some of the players and where they came from and how they were recruited, it was clear there was a connection between the coaches and those players. I think that’s important. Hopefully, as we recruit a player you can see how they fit and where they’re going to play. Sadly as a coach, I like to recruit people for specific roles. To have real clarity in where they’re going to play, the areas where they’re going to help us but also the areas where I think they can develop. It’s getting that lovely mix between now and the future in terms of, I don’t want any fillers, I want leaders now that I think can go on and be real top players for us moving forward.

What kind of test are you expecting from Kilmarnock?

A really tough test. I know Derek well, he’s a good guy. The Aberdeen battles between our teams were really tough games. He’s done a good job at Kilmarnock obviously getting them back up. They’ve got a lot of familiar faces in the squad with players that have got good experience in this league. They’ve lost one in nine at home. They’ve beaten every team that we’ve beaten since I came in, so game on, it should be a good one. We need to go for three points, not one. I’m sure they’re feeling the same after what was a really good performance at Hampden at the weekend. I’m sure while they’re disappointed, it will give them a lot of confidence for the remainder of the season.