David Martindale’s ‘cynical’ Rangers view as Livi boss takes on transformed side with new normal under Michael Beale
DAVID MARTINDALE reckons Rangers have taken a step back to go forward under Michael Beale.
The Ibrox board handed their former first-team coach a Govan return, this time as boss, after sacking Giovanni van Bronckhorst last year.
Livingston gaffer Martindale knew then that Beale would start to get the best out of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent.
He said: “Michael was always going to get a tune out of the players as he knows them.
“The cynical side of me says there’s only three or four months of the season left and a huge summer window coming up.
“What you generally find is a couple of players who knuckle down to win a new contract, or do the same on the park to get a move.
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“Slowly but surely Michael is changing Rangers’ identity. Most of the players now understand what he wants.
“There’s a difference to their style. It’s not too dissimilar to when Mick was with Steven Gerrard.
“There’s not been a huge change in terms of the players, maybe Malik Tillman being the biggest difference, Todd Cantwell coming in and the boy Tom Lawrence.
“Ryan Kent has more licence to go for the ball as opposed to being out on the left getting chalk on his boots.
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“Borna Barisic and James Tavernier are being more aggressive on the ball, with the wingers coming inside, so it’s very similar to what it was like previously.
“It doesn’t make our job any easier. Knowing and stopping are very different things.”
Martindale and Beale go head to head at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday.
Neither had a glittering playing career, but the Livi boss says attitudes towards people like him are changing.
He added: “Look around at the top managers now. Jurgen Klopp played at a level, but not right at the top.
"And look at Jose Mourinho, Brendan Rodgers, Graham Potter. Sport and football are changing, it’s become a lot more academic.
“Players are more educated now as well. The ‘team that drinks together, wins together’ mentality is gone.
“It’s much more about elite athletes and very quickly, after a couple of sessions, players will know if the manager knows what he is doing.
“You can go through a game on a laptop but changing it in real time is very different."
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