Michael Beale has issued a strong response to critics of Rangers in recent times.

The 42-year-old insists the team is in nowhere near as bad a shape as some have made out over the last couple of months.

The former first team coach yesterday sealed an emotional return to Ibrox after just 12-months away from the club.

Under Giovanni van Bronckhorst there was no doubt that things had became stale, with the team stumbling towards the World Cup break. 

The club's poor run of form both domestically and in Europe ultimately cost the Dutchman his job, as he left Rangers nine-points behind Celtic in the title race.

In a wide-ranging interview with Sky Sports, the Beale covered various topics about the move back to Glasgow.

And he took the chance to bite back at some of the club's critics in recent times. 

He said: "It's a privilege to be here working but I think we just need to have a little bit of a shake and a bit of an honest conversation and get back the standards.

"Coaches have various ideas of how to play, but the players go onto the pitch and play. Six months ago this was the Europa League finalists.

"I got offered the chance to work with the Europa League finalists and that is a huge privilege and sense of pride coming back. This team is not as broken as people think.

"If people think that outside then the only people that can change that are the people inside and we've got to go now.

"There's no time to wait so if people are not all in then they can go to one side and the people who are I'll move forward with those."

READ MORE: Rangers hero Boyd makes surprise Colak claim regarding Beale

READ MORE: Inside Michael Beale's first day as Rangers manager