Michael Beale explains Rangers vs Celtic midfield decision

Here is everything he had to say.

What’s your reflections on that result?

We started the game poorly and never found any rhythm in the first half. We were always in the game but never played with rhythm that we can. There’s no complaints with the overall result. I thought at the start of the second-half we improved and have a big moment where Ryan [Kent] hits the post and we should do better with the rebound. If we score in that moment then there might be a momentum change. We showed character and resilience to try and push the game but today I was expecting more from the team, from myself on the day so it’s disappointing.

You had a good spell towards the end?

Yeah but that was because we threw more energy and intensity at the game. I thought we didn’t play to our true level, why that is, me and my staff and the players need to look at it because there’s been a few times since I’ve come back, and I don’t want to make a mountain out of today’s performance because we have done well [overall], that’s the first defeat in 15 games. But there’s been a number of games where it’s took a half-time honest conversation to force a reaction from the team. I thought the boys who came on did well and Celtic were more uncomfortable when we threw more energy and intensity at the game. It’s disappointing, we had moments. They scored in those moments but they’re the fine margins. If Fashion takes that chance at 1-0 maybe it’s a different game but it’s not, Celtic won the game and congratulations to them.

What’s today showed you about the gap you have to close?

I’ve learned today as much or more as any of the games. It’s something we will reflect on. It’s clear we’re short of where we want to be and that’s ultimately why I came into the job. We’ve done well, we’ve had a real strong run and this is our first defeat [since I came back] but it’s in the one game that matters. It’s what we do next that is important. We still need to recruit, work out one or two futures. But, I don’t want to go overboard. We played against a very good opponent. Part of the reason we didn’t reach our level is that Celtic were good as well.

Did you get your starting XI wrong?

Since I’ve come back in I’ve tried to supply some consistency and clarity in terms of messages the team are comfortable with, that’s the same team that played ever so well in the Old Firm at new year and gave the best performance in terms of 90 minutes since I came back against Hearts. We had our goals on the pitch. Malik Tillman and the front three have been in fine form sine I have come back with over 20 goals in the team that was there since I’ve come back in. You’ve got two players [Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin] coming in who have played two and a half games each against opponents where you’ve got the ball. There was a little bit more in terms of what we needed to do off the ball defensively and also match legs. I just felt at that moment I needed to shake the tree and change something. We were stronger after that because we scored, but we scored from an isolated moment before I actually made those changes.

How do you pick yourself up as a group?

We’ve got no choice, have we. At a club like this we have 12 league games to go and a Scottish Cup to retain, it’s up to them how we want to end the season, that’s in our hands. I’m still making decisions and assessing who we need to bring in and maybe who we need to move on, that’s natural at this time of the season. Everyone is playing for something and it’s important we end the season strongly, our fans won’t let us not do that and I’ll be driving that within the club as well because it’s clear we don’t want to have many days like this.

What was your message to the players in the huddle?

Suck it up. It’s not nice but on the day we didn’t come to the game until the second half in my opinion. So no qualms that on the day we lost the game. It’s not nice but suck it up and take it on board. You have to look at yourself in the mirror every day and that’s your biggest opponent. Are you being honest with that person? Are we working hard enough and is the work we are doing good enough? You’ve got to win all the other games but this when judgment day comes. We get it and we take it on. That was what we spoke about. I didn’t want anyone making any false opinions in their mind. We lost the game.

Why can’t you find a 90 min performance?

I’m still looking for those reasons. Early in the season I wasn’t in the changing room when some games happened, and you bring some anxieties like that. If you pay 14 games and win 13 and drew one, you’ve done well. The game is played for 100 minutes now and it’s about finding ways to win. A good performance isn’t always about having the ball all the time. Sometimes you have to suffer and grind and fight and work. It’s important we don’t get too carried away with that but there is something. For half an hour I didn’t really see what we had asked and promised ourselves we were going to bring to this game. We didn’t do it so we’ll go back and have a conversation about it but it’s important we are honest. When you play a game for a third and are clearly second best you give yourself a mountain to climb.I don’t want to take anything away from Celtic. They’re clearly a very good team and have got some very good players. They played well today so as much as I’ll go and look at my own team, the resistance from the opponents was a big one.

Is this team actually broken?

Revamp is a better word than rebuild. We’ve had a lot of injury problems this season. Even going into this week we’ve had a lot of uncertainty. We need to get over that and make sure people are fit and healthy and available as that makes a strong squad. We have got to recruit and work out one or two futures. I think we’ll come back stronger. I don’t think we should get too carried away that we lost today and it’s the end of the world. The job was always going to be big regardless of this result. It’s important we bite down on the gum shield and take our medicine. It doesn’t taste too nice right now but when I look at the team with the promise that Malik Tillman, Raskin and Cantwell have shown there is enough for me to be super optimistic about the future. Is it going to be plain sailing? Of course it isn’t. If we had won the cup final today would everything have been rosy? No, we would still have that work to do and it’s my job to do that from tomorrow. I don’t mind being judged on that but at this moment in time it’s probably not the right time for me to be worrying about the greater future. It’s more, ‘Okay, what didn’t go right in this fixture and what have we got to do to fix it against Celtic?’ because against everyone else it seems to have been fine so far.