Michael Beale talks up Rangers transfer relationship with John Park as he reveals Kemar Roofe set for key role
THERE’S a Kemar Roofe-shaped hole in Michael Beale’s Rangers side right now.
And the Ibrox gaffer hopes the 30-year-old is ready to fill it for the rest of the season.
The Jamaica international's Rangers career can be best described as stop-start.
The club’s top scorer on their way to title No 55, but worries over a persistent calf problem that has plagued him for years are never far away.
Beale is a huge fan of Roofe and hopes his injury hell is finally over.
He said: “The way I have set the team up, I have left a big hole for Kemar to come back.
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“I think he is a battle-scarred senior player now and he will never feel perfect when he plays.
“We have to manage him, as some days he doesn’t feel great and other days he does.
“Kemar’s extremely frustrated. He’s a really outgoing kid and a bubbly character and a leader.
“Three or four weeks ago he was the best player in training by a distance but the day before the game he had a calf problem. It was devastating for me and the team.
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“I am optimistic about Kemar but the proof will be in the pudding.
“He has aims here and he is incredibly frustrated that he couldn’t impact us more.
“He feels if he is fit he can make a huge impact on how successful we are.
“I think he would say he is ready and then you need to make a judgement. Antonio Colak thought he was fit to start against Dundee United and then had a different issue.
“If you come into this club and Antonio and Kemar aren’t available for your first games it isn’t a great thing.
“Now if we are going to lose one of them, then I would rather lose one than both.
“It’s more likely Kemar will be with Alfredo in the squad for Aberdeen.
“It all has to do with his calf area and he’s had it since he was young. At different times he’s missed a lot of football.
“His value and how he is viewed would be far greater if he can play more regularly.”
Beale knows having so many players missing through injury has hurt him and previous Gers bosses.
He admits having key men returning might see him change his January recruitment drive.
He added: “Kemar’s goal return is very good and for the last manager he would have been extremely frustrated that Kemar, Tom Lawrence, Connor Goldson, Ridvan Yilmaz, Ben Davies and Filip Helander have all been unavailable.
“The last manager and myself haven’t been able to use the full value of the squad.
“You come to a point where you think, ‘Are they ever going to come back and be what they were?’.
“The way you set the team up, you look at the whole squad and what way should we play that makes the most out of Malik Tillman and Scott Arfield. We should always have one of them on the pitch as they arrive in the box.
“How do we make the best attributes out of Fashion Sakala and Roofe? They play near the forward, so there are almost two of them.
“Then you have Ryan Kent, Tom Lawrence, Alex Lowry or Ianis Hagi who comes and helps the midfield.
“You try to find a blend to suit the whole squad.
“I will only be as successful as how fit the players are.
“In the window I have to think, ‘If this one comes in, how will it impact someone else?’.”
Beale has loved returning to Ibrox after a year away with Gerrard at Aston Villa and then as QPR boss.
His family are settled in their adopted homeland but he realised the buck stops with him when his sons started moaning about his substitutions.
He added: “I have three young children and they’re back at school in Scotland.
“I find my children are really good at helping me chill out.
“As the boys get older they are wanting to talk to me about football and what’s been said at school about the subs I’ve made and what players should have done and who am I signing.”
One man who is helping Beale with new recruits in this month’s window is highly-respected talent spotter John Park.
Beale is loving working with the former Celtic transfer guru and reckons he’ll be influential in their transfer dealings.
The Gers boss added: “John smells of football.
“When you’re inside it, we’re no different to people who watch and write about football — it’s your passion.
“John’s passion is unearthing talent and seeing something in someone. That’s the same passion I have.
“He does it by watching from the stands and I do it by working with players.
“I’m always curious why one player in one club doesn’t do as well as everyone thinks he can and how you can get him going by creating an environment that allows him to fly.
“They are the conversation we have.
“John and I grabbed breakfast and he was telling me about all these exotic names and players.
“You can imagine if we had an open cheque book where we could just go out and sign everyone, me and John would love that, and Ross as well.
“The transfer window is an interesting thing when it opens. You have all these possibilities and players available.
“Sometimes things come to you, then sometimes you’re chasing things.
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“I think it’s important to know exactly who you are as a football club and what type of people you need.
“If we spend money here and get it wrong, it’s really costly."
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