Faced with a Celtic treble and the return of a manager that cut their Tribute Act down to size Ibrox fans overdosed on delusions all through the summer.
They soaked up every sound-bite that accompanied their new signings, even when they were free agents, relegated strikers, EPL misfits and Ajax rejects.
All summer long they were told about the outstanding arrivals, the hidden gems that had gone off the rails but were about to have their careers relaunched by Mister Beale, the brains behind the only trophy win in Steven Gerrard’s managerial career.
Slipping out the back door was more than 50% of last season’s goals. Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent walked away as free agents, as did Scott Arfield. Malik Tillman refused point blank a return to Ibrox while Beale sanctioned the sale of Antonio Colak.
Fore reassurance the Gullible & Deluded were reminded that Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin had dominated Scottish football in the second half of last season while Beale had stared into the eyes of his new recruits to ensure that they were made of the right character, worthy team-mates of James Tavernier and Borna Barisic.
After the big build up reality arrived at Rugby Park, faced by a team of loanees and free agents put together by a journeyman manager in Derek McInnes.
Five years ago McInnes was offered the manager’s job at Ibrox. The former Rangers midfielder is a pragmatist, a realist, he gets the best out of the resources available to him but he can’t work miracles.
Delivering to the outrageous expectations of the Ibrox support fed by media messengers is an impossible task unless Celtic implode. If Celtic are sensibly managed in the dug-out and boardroom they will always come out on top, even against the odds set out by the SFA, led by Crawford Allan and Andrew Dallas.
At Rugby Park Beale carried incredible expectations, he had encouraged them but by full time some bears were having doubts, their worst fears realised.
This morning Beale has to deal with the aftermath, lifting his brilliant new signings dropped into an environment full of serial losers led by the bitterly disappointed James Tavernier.
In the past he could scuttle out onto the training ground and set up the bibs and cones as Gerrard and Gary McAllister tried to lift and motivate the dressing room. Now it is all on Beale’s shoulders.
Months of spouting away about the fings that he finks about, his incredible connections in the game, how he knows everybody in football is about to be put on the line with the prize of a Champions League place at stake.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the manager that Beale shamelessly undermined succeeded a year ago but never survived long enough to open the first door in the advent calendar.
If Beale fails to deliver Champions League football the visit of Celtic on September 3 becomes bigger than e could imagine. Fifty thousand expectant bears aren’t known for giving projects time to settle in.
Gerrard and van Bronckhorst had playing records as a buffer from the raging crowds, the former Charlton yoof has nothing like that on his CV with his future dependent on the players he brought to the club.
If he fails in this job he won’t have Aston Villa rolling out the red carpet.
