Michael Beale demands more Rangers ruthlessness after Hearts win

Here is everything he had to say.

What is your assessment of the game?

I was really pleased with tonight’s performance. We know we’re playing against an opponent that’s riding high on form and came into the game with lots of confidence. We knew we had to be at our very best. I thought, out of possession, we were excellent in terms of our pressing and our regains and it caused a lot of problems for Hearts where we won the ball. They were quite expansive in the way they tried to play so we had to be good defensively and we won a lot of duels.

Is that the levels the team has to hit in terms of performance?

Certainly away from home because it’s a different type of game. Teams come at you a little bit more and the crowd get up. I thought the crowd was up at the start of the game, they were anticipating a big performance from their team so we had to be good defensively and I thought we showed a different side of our game tonight. We weren’t so slow in our possession in terms of our build-up which we have to be sometimes at Ibrox because we have to be patient. Today we went for the kill really quickly. I picked the team to score goals and I thought Ryan, Fashion and Alfredo were fantastic and I thought Malik went on and joined it in the game as well. I’ve just said to them in there they’ve set a good standard but it’s still not what I want, I still want more because we could’ve scored more goals tonight. I thought Zander Clark had a good game and I thought we were a little bit wasteful at times. We regained the ball and did so many good things well but we should demand more from each other because there are more goals there. There certainly was at the weekend. My big frustration at the weekend was I think we missed eight to 10 chances which I think we should do better with. Again tonight when I watch it back, a lot of the approach play, the defending and the way we played as a team was fantastic but let’s just keep rewarding ourselves in the final third. Delighted with three but I think we could’ve had more.

There were some offside goals as well, you must’ve been wondering what was going on?

We had the most lousy camera angle from where we were when you’re watching it back because it’s from the top of the stand. I thought one for Fashion Sakala might’ve been onside but they get to see all the angles and I think to be fair to the officials they probably got them all right.

Is that the best performance since you came back to the club?

In parts yeah. We’ve had to show different things across the games. I think it’s been coming in terms of a more complete performance. I just felt tonight because Hearts had a real go at us it gave us space to have a go at them back and we were probably the strongest team defensively in terms of winning a lot of duels. I thought Malik, Glen Kamara, Lundstram, the two full backs, they won so many of the duels in terms of when the ball was played up to the Hearts players we stole it and then were very incisive. We looked dangerous all night. If we can just improve our last shot, our last pass more often, we’ll score more goals. Overall, pleased but they’re not going to get too much of a well-done because we’ve got a game in three days’ time.

What did you make of the two penalty decisions that went to VAR?

I’ve not seen Goldson’s one. Ryan, if he’s gone down he’s got the yellow, no arguments about it. I think he might think there’s contact coming. I haven’t seen it back but in four and a half years I don’t think that could ever be aimed at Ryan so it’s one of those things.

READ MORE: Detailed Rangers player ratings as Kamara masterclass sees off Hearts

How pleasing was it to see two goals from set-pieces and is that testament to the hard work that goes on in training?

I’m over the moon about that because that was an area we had to improve. Harry does a lot of work with the boys on that so well done to them. What I would say is that probably highlights some of the chances we’re making in open play that we’re not taking that two of the goals tonight are off set-plays. That’s the little bit where I’m saying, ‘Come on, can we bit a little bit more ruthless because we are creating a lot.’

How far is Morelos away from the player you want him to be?

He’s very happy at the moment and if he’s happy I’m happy for him because I think he’s playing well. A lot’s thrown at him from time to time but as a boy that I see every day, we have a really good relationship and he seems very calm and he seems to be enjoying his football. I’m delighted for him. He could’ve had three or four at the weekend. I sort of mentioned that to him the day after and he rewarded us with two tonight. He’s a bit frustrated because the last two times he’s been on two goals I’ve brought him off with 15 minutes to go. There’s that little look where I’m keeping him on his toes.

What did you make of his celebration in front of the Hearts fans?

He always does that celebration. I don’t know if he knows where he’s running but he’s just gone and celebrated the goal. That’s the only thing with VAR, it stops you celebrating in the moment. The whole bench can’t celebrate and the players on the pitch are unsure as well. That’s the only thing that’s a setback on that.

(Image: NQ)

How happy are you with his relationship with Fashion Sakala?

They’re making it really tough for me because I thought Todd was our best player at the weekend. He’s not played for three months so I just wanted to give him a chance to see what Scottish football looks like tonight from the side because this is a place where the fans get up and I was expecting it to be a really frantic game which it was in moments. To leave him out was difficult but the other three have been so good for me. At the moment, what I would say to our squad because it’s looking strong is, ‘You have to earn the shirt.’ Glen Kamara scores at the weekend and probably should have an assist. Jacko is giving me the look tonight because he wasn’t starting, so we’re in a good place. I thought young Alex Lowry came on and did very well. Scott Wright’s been pushing for a start for weeks, he’s been training fantastic. It’s nice to have competition, it’s nice for people to talk about us in a positive light but it means nothing we have to play again on Saturday.

Do you welcome teams having a go at you?

It’s nice sometimes away from home because it opens up spaces. We have to have some clear ideas for that and we have to sometimes have to ideas of how the game might look at home when teams are a bit more closed. Certain players suit playing in different spaces. We try to prepare ourselves for every eventuality. When I looked at the team, I was like, ‘Oh, he’s having a right go at us,’ and I was a little bit concerned that some of their power and their running might cause us some issues in the game. I warned the team but I thought if you compare the start of the game tonight to Kilmarnock away which is something I’m probably hitting them over the head with constantly, that first 10 minutes, they were much improved.