Michael Beale: Rangers win ‘wasn’t perfect’ but we will improve | Football News

It was victory for Michael Beale in his first Scottish Premiership match as Rangers boss, but he admitted it was not the “perfect” performance as he looks to drive up standards at Ibrox.

Rangers defeated Hibs 3-2, but it was not a game in which the hosts had everything their own way, with visiting defender Ryan Porteous silenced the home crowd when he headed the visitors in front from a corner in the eighth minute.

Gers attacker Fashion Sakala levelled in the 15th minute but moments later Hibs striker Kevin Nisbet, back for the first time since February following a knee injury, restored the Leith side’s lead with a powerful finish.

However, midfielder Ryan Jack equalised in the 58th minute from close range before Alfredo Morelos grabbed the winner four minutes later.

Beale told Sky Sports his half-time team-talk was key.

“I said just stop for a minute, I know the anxiety with everything that’s gone on in the last few weeks.

“Just stop, let’s get the style right, let’s play closer together, let’s not over-think, let’s play fast football and if we get the next goal then obviously the stadium will pick up and we’ll go on and win the second half 2-0.

“I asked them to win the second half 2-0 and they did it.”

The result narrows the gap on Celtic to six points ahead of the league leaders’ match at Aberdeen on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

The new Ibrox manager admits they need to be better if they are to catch the defending champions.

“I know I’ve got a job on and to be fair to the boys they know they’ve got a job on to get back to the standards that we’ve had previously.

“You saw a little bit of everything tonight. A little bit of anxiety in the air, certainly in the crowd and on the pitch as well.

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“It didn’t look like anything we wanted it to, that just shows you a game at the weekend like Leverkusen when there’s not the three points on it everyone relaxes and plays and tonight I saw a different type of performance.

“I’m delighted to take the three points. We knew it wasn’t going to be perfect and we just need to keep improving every week.”

Beale also revealed plans for his first competitive game went up in the air before he had to adjust his side.

Young central defender Leon King, who signed a new long-term deal earlier in the day, was unwell while striker Antonio Colak, due to play alongside Morelos, picked up an injury and his absence looked to have affected the home side.

“James Tavernier was off with it during the week so was Scott Wright as well,” he added.

“Obviously that wasn’t ideal as we lost Colak to a tight calf right at the end of training yesterday and they we were both starting so it threw all the plans [away].

“You spend two weeks building it, everything is calm and then the last 24 hours have been a little bit all over the place.

“I had to ask John [Lundstram] to play out of position and he got on with it.”