You don’t know who you’re playing! Pressure getting through to confused Micky Beale

The chirpiness, confidence and swagger has gone from Micky Beale less than a week into the season.

Two months of fawning coverage praising his new signings came to a halt at Kilmarnock on Saturday- last night he got a look at what failure in Europe looks like.

At home to opponents missing eight first team players what more could you ask for than being two goals up after 15 minutes in front of your fanatical supporters? Maybe playing 10 men for half an hour?

By the time the final whistle blew after 100 minutes of action Ibrox was one third full with fans away to grumble and complain on social media and message boards.

Last October Beale milked the adulation by dropping into the Lounden Tavern and Grapes Bar, he really was a man of the People even though he was on the payroll of Queens Park Rangers.

It is unlikely that the former Liverpool u-5s coach will be dropping in for a pint on Paisley Road any time soon. It seems like last night’s 2-1 win over SERVETTE has already left Beale tired and confused.

Doesn’t even know who he’s playing.

Thick. As. Mince. 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/meJHdrFy6M

— The Free Rogic International. (@CelticEnded2iar) August 9, 2023

OFFICIAL club video

1 minute 53 seconds

We’ll approach the game very similar next week. I fink obviously Genk will have to go for the game and it will be an open and really good tie.

Last week Servette got a 2-2 draw away to Genk then knocked them out on penalties despite being down to 10 men after five minutes of the match.

At Ibrox the Swiss side had a player sent off in the 59^th minute but coped comfortably through the remainder of the match to take the tie home knowing that any win will take the Third Round qualifier into penalties at least.

Beale used to bask in the image of being a tactical wizard, apparently he was the brains of Steven Gerrard’s management team which actually says more about the others than the geezer that set out the bibs and cones for Gary McAllister.

Training drills at Murray Park are one thing but reality is securing a place in the group stage of the Champions League, reaching the Play Off would be worth £7m thanks to a payment from UEFA and a 50,000 crowd in the final qualifier.

Faced with 10 men Beale had nothing to offer.

With a squad seriously lacking in width and pace Servette funnelled back 10 yards and soaked up everything that their opponents could muster. There was barely a Plan A from Beale never mind Plan B.

In the 66^th minute Abdallah Sima replaced £6m striker Danilo to no effect, next up Kieran Dowell and Jose Cifuentes were thrown on in the 77^th minute as the home side laboured down the right flank with James Tavernier constantly running into opponents.

Going into stoppage time Beale lobbed on Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright. When you are turning to the guy that you tried to sell to Turkey three weeks earlier it is clear that you have run out of ideas.

In his first ever European away tie Beale will go into the lions den in Geneva having insulted his opponents by not knowing their name, and failing to correct it.

Tuesday in Switzerland will be the night when the Ibrox boss discovers the character of the stars he looked into the eyes of before signing during the summer.

After getting nine players signed before the start of the season Beale doesn’t have any excuses to offer up if he fails in the Champions League.

If he falls short of emulating the achievement of Giovanni van Bronckhorst he better have a 10 match winning run in Scotland or he’ll be back down the road checking out vacancies in the Liverpool Academy.