Rangers need 'stability and continuity' - Miller backs Beale to recover from slow start
- Published
Beale lost his first head-to-head with returning Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers
Former Rangers striker Kenny Miller believes manager Michael Beale can recover from defeat against Celtic and a bruising Champions League exit.
Rangers sit four points adrift of Premiership leaders Celtic after four league games, off the back of a 7-3 aggregate play-off loss to PSV Eindhoven.
"I understand the frustrations of fans but stability and continuity, for me, gives you a better chance of actually achieving success," said Miller, who had three separate spells at Ibrox.
"Where Rangers are at, at the moment, is not what any Rangers fan wants to see.
"Only time will tell if Michael will be the right man to move things forward, but he definitely deserves the chance to have the best possible chance to let it develop and get better."
Beale has won just one of his six meetings with Celtic since replacing Giovanni Van Bronckhorst in December and that came in May after last season's title had been decided.
The champions now have an early advantage over their Glasgow rivals thanks to Kyogo Furuhashi's clinical finish at Ibrox on Sunday.
Beale himself described it as a "rough week", having previously presented the challenge in front of Rangers as a "massive opportunity" that might set a "narrative" for the season.
'Players need to take more responsibility and go unscathed'
Four of nine new singings started on the bench against Celtic, with Beale overhauling his squad across the summer following the departures of forwards Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Antonio Colak, Fashion Sakala and Ianis Hagi.
"Absolutely, I think he can recover", Miller said of Beale's shaky start to the season, which includes an opening weekend loss at Kilmarnock.
"It's four games into the season, in terms of the league. There's a long way to go.
"There does need to be significant improvements but there's not one person, player, coach or manager within Rangers not thinking the exact same thing. The fans need to understand that.
"It's not just the manager. He has to shoulder the responsibility of the singings, I get it. But it's also up to individuals to take a responsibility on the field and go and perform.
"Nine new players have come into the club. They need to understand who they're representing and what it takes to actually deliver success.
"Playing for Rangers, this just comes with the territory. If you fall down, fall short in the big games then you're going to face criticism. Sometimes it's scathing and it was in the aftermath of Sunday.
"It's really important in the next phase of games that they go unscathed."
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