By Alan Hutton

5th Oct, 2023 | 10:04am

Hutton: Rangers fans catalyst for 'huge' change at Ibrox - and Celtic were key

Rangers supporters played a “huge” part in Michael Beale’s sacking.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Gers defender Alan Hutton said one “big problem” for Beale was that he had made so many changes to the team but couldn’t get them firing.

The Light Blues confirmed (1 October) that they had parted ways with the 43-year-old following Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen.

Despite nine new arrivals this summer, Beale’s side have lost three of their seven Scottish Premiership games so far this season as well as crashing out of the Champions League with a 5-1 play-off defeat to PSV Eindhoven.

Fans had made their contempt for the manager known and the players have been booed off the pitch in previous performances.

When asked if the supporters were a big part of Beale’s demise at Ibrox, Hutton told Football Insider: “That is definitely part of it.

“They are a huge voice when it comes to their opinion and they are going to let it be known.

“I think if you look at just this season, the defeat to Celtic, the manner in which they went out the Champions League, they have played seven games and have already had three losses.

“They are seven points behind Celtic already and it is mounting up. It was there for everyone to see.

“The biggest thing for me is that it was Michael Beale’s team now, they got rid of the players that he did not want, he brought in nine as well as [Todd] Cantwell and [Nicolas] Raskin earlier on, this is now his team.“

In other news, Rangers set sights on former PL manager after approach made.