Michael Beale details Rangers' Tillman injury blow amid Bayern talks

Here is everything he had to say.

What is your mindset and message heading into the final five league games?

We want to bounce back because we were on a fantastic run. We’ve had a couple of sore results and we have a team coming to Ibrox at the weekend who are in form, there’s a rivalry between the two teams so the players need to perform and perform well. We want to bounce back with a strong performance and a home win.

To what extent are you looking to the future and trying things between now and the end of the season?

Definitely, we’ll try a few things out for sure. I thought, last week, our performance was good so there’s things to move on from and build on from that performance. There’ll be an opportunity for one or two if they earn it via training but there’s one or two who’ve also been patient and probably deserve a go as well.

Do Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos still have a part to play this season?

Yeah, of course, they do. They’ve been two fantastic players for the club. Both have represented the club very well. They’ve been important players for a number of years. In terms of their situation, there’s nothing to speak about anything big outside other than we’ve had the conversations inside. We’re mutually in the same place on what should happen. We haven’t come forward with a contract offer for either of them, both of them have been free to speak to other clubs for a while now. In terms of the five games, they’re Rangers players and they’ll continue to be so until anything is announced officially.

Is Malik Tillman fit to play any games until the end of the season?

No, unfortunately, that’s the end of Malik’s season. He’s got a hamstring injury. He’s gone back to Bayern for them to have a look as well. He’s obviously had his scan. It’s a hugely sad ending to the season for him because he’s a fine young player and he’s performed well for the club so far this season.

Do you think that’s the last time Rangers fans will see him?

That’s still ongoing in the background.

Any other injuries?

Borna will miss this weekend. There’s one or two who didn’t train earlier in the week. Scott Arfield didn’t train until today, he had a slight problem after the game and we’ll monitor Ryan Kent. He came off for tactical reasons at the weekend but we’ll monitor him because he’s had one or two ongoing issues.

Is it a big opportunity for Ridvan and other players this weekend?

It’s a big opportunity for everyone. What I would say is they’ve had big opportunities since November. The best team plays. When you sit down before every game you pick the strongest team. Since I came in in November, everyone’s had the same opportunity. They’ve had to earn it and the right to play. Some have not always been fit and obviously, one or two are now fit and looking for opportunities, namely Ridvan and Rabbi Matondo. They’re new signings at the start of the season that haven’t really built up any momentum or been able to show what they maybe wanted to show. There’s an opportunity in the next five games but we’ll be picking the strongest team to play the games, there’s no gimmes.

How do you get the players up for these five games?

At the end of the last two seasons, there’s been a lot of drama. At the end of one season, you win the league, the end of the next season you’re playing in a European final, fighting at the top end of the league and you’ve got the Scottish Cup so I get it. That’s the result of the season that we’ve had so far. Playing at Ibrox, we have 47,000 season ticket holders and they’re demanding a performance against Aberdeen. Every time you put on the shirt it’s a huge privilege and I’ll be looking for things towards the group. We’ve been moving towards next season’s ideas since I came in about finishing this season strongly and building for the future. There’s five games against teams around us, if we’re not at it, they’re very dangerous games.

What’s the situation with Robby McCrorie?

He’s fit and available for the weekend so there’s a decision to be made there.

Have you offered any of the out-of-contract players a new deal?

There’s talks going on. We’ll announce them as their definites. There’s one or two we’ve offered contracts to.

READ MORE: The Rangers six that can supplement Beale's huge transfer influx

Looking back to when you took over was there an underestimate of the rebuild required?

I think the goalposts move because I’ve played 24 games and I’ve lived with the group a little bit more. Obviously, Celtic are going to end this season fantastically well with the trophies but if you’re in the stadium last weekend, I thought my team performed well. It’s up to you where you determine, everyone’s got an opinion. I’ve got a clear plan and it’s just about executing that now.

Some senior figures have left recently, what does that tell us?

There’s been some big decisions made in terms of the infrastructure on the executive board. I think some of them are people’s own decisions and others are decisions made strategically to make the club stable and fresh with new ideas moving forward. I’ve been fully kept up to speed with everything that’s going on and I’m calm and at ease with it. I see a board that’s really aligned and aligned with where we want to go so I’m calm.

Culture change can take time but you’ll be judged almost immediately, how do you square that circle?

Hugely excited by it, what an exciting time. If the fans want one or two new faces coming in, they’re coming in, it’s a hugely exciting time. We have won a lot of football games, we finish the season strongly and go and have a strong pre-season, we come out of it and we go again. It’s an opportunity for us right at the start of the season to try and qualify for the Champions League which is an unbelievable opportunity for the club so there’s a lot to look forward to. The recruitment side of things is a long way down the road. I’m excited by it, I’m energised by it and I think you’ll certainly see a new Rangers but at the moment I still think the team have performed to a decent level. It’s been a disappointing season but the quickest way is to recruit well and come back fresh, strong and go again. I’m excited about the change at the club, I’m excited by the opportunity it gives us to recruit.

Is there a need for patience?

I live and work in Glasgow.

Did you watch the Youth Cup final and what are you looking for in a young player?

Firstly, I was away at another game that was pre-arranged and some meetings as well so I wasn’t at the game, my staff were. I’ve watched the game back. Exciting game, a bit of a hockey match, a lot of goals and a lot of excitement and it looked like a young boys’ game. A lot of talented young boys who are playing in the national stadium with all that excitement and energy they have. It’s a big step to the game that was played a few days before it in the same stadium with the first team it’s fair to say. A big step physically, a big step technically, a big step in terms of the expectations and the pressure that it would put on them but I thought there were good players in both teams. In terms of me and what I’m looking for, I’m looking for a young player that comes over to the first team and doesn’t show any respect in terms of trying to take a first-team player’s shirt. I’m looking for a hungry, angry young man if you like who wants to go and take on the world. Every time we play, the next day we train. If that’s whoever’s on our bench, seven or eight come over to match that and train together. I would say 90 per cent of the B team have had a chance to train with us. The 18s have trained with us a couple of times when the B team have not been there so I know all the young players. At the moment, is anyone ready to step in and be a starter for Rangers? Probably not. Will they get opportunities in pre-season to show that they’ve grown and be around the group more consistently? Yes, certainly one or two will have an opportunity. I think the best thing is that they come over to train readily, they come over a lot and they show their qualities and then from that they get a chance on the bench and play. I think this season, a number of young players have either been involved in the squad or been on the pitch. No one at the moment has been able to make that jump to starting. Leon King, I still think’s the youngest player who has got the most minutes in the Champions League. Early in the season, he’s had big exposure. Adam Devine in my first few games was excellent and he’s had some injury problems as the season’s gone on. The same with Alex Lowry. He’s in a really good place so in that sense I’m quite pleased with the young ones I’ve got around us but I would urge them that their training sessions are more important than some of the seniors. Their training session for them is their match. They have to train above the level of the session physically and really showcase themselves every time they get an opportunity.

What vibes are you getting from Tillman if he wants to stay or not?

Me and Malik are in a great place on a personal level. I think he’s been brilliant for the club, I think he’s been brilliant for me in my time here. He’s a player I think has got a really high ceiling, as high a ceiling as anyone I’ve worked with in my time here at Rangers. There are areas of his game at 20 that he needs to brush up on and that’s why he’s come on loan. We said we would park the conversation until the middle of May because there’s a lot around it and you want to get to the end of the season. Malik’s got a say in this as well. Obviously, the two clubs have been talking back and forth and there are agreements between them but the most important person is Malik and if Malik wants to be here in Glasgow then it’s something we can make happen. Likewise, if he’s unsure and the conversations me and Malik are great, we have a fantastic relationship but we said we would park it until the middle of May and nothing’s changed on that.