Former Rangers manager Michael Beale has received a vote of confidence from his current club's hierarchy despite a poor run of results. Zulte-Waregem's Director of Football Niels Leroy has publicly backed the 46-year-old, stating there is no reason to dismiss him after four consecutive Belgian Pro League defeats.
Beale, who spent one year as Rangers manager and was part of the coaching staff that delivered the 2020/21 Premiership title, is under pressure at the 10th-placed club. The most recent loss was a 3-0 defeat away to La Louviere. After that match, Beale offered to personally refund the travelling fans, stating he felt sorry for them and that the performance was not an accurate reflection of the players.
He said the team was not good enough and that many individuals needed to raise their game. Niels Leroy, the club's Director of Football, moved to support Beale this week. Leroy said the club considers the bigger picture and does not part ways with a coach lightly. He added they have sufficient reasons for hope before considering a dismissal. He pointed to the team's recent goal minutes, noting they have scored 8 of their 15 league goals this season in the final 15 minutes of matches, a statistic the club believes shows a resilient and fighting spirit within the squad.
Beale took on the Zulte-Waregem role in May after a spell as an assistant at Al-Ettifaq under Steven Gerrard and following his departure from Sunderland. His immediate focus is on preparing his team for their next fixture, a home match against KVC Westerlo on Saturday, 9 November. His former club Rangers, meanwhile, are in strong form. Philippe Clement's side are second in the Premiership, having taken 24 points from 11 games with a record of seven wins, three draws and one loss. They are four points behind leaders Celtic and have scored 19 goals while conceding only nine this season. Their recent run reads three wins and two draws from their last five matches, a sequence which includes a 2-2 draw with Heart Of Midlothian on Saturday 28 October and a 4-0 win over ST Johnstone on Saturday 24 October. In that victory, Kevin Kelsy scored twice, while Ryan Naderi, the team's top scorer this season with five goals, also found the net.
The Ibrox club's next test is an away trip to face ST Mirren, who are seventh, on Saturday 7 November. For Beale, the immediate task is to halt Zulte-Waregem's slide and justify the faith shown by his sporting director.
Background and full detail: The Scottish Football Social Club
