Charlie Nicholas blasts Michael Beale 'conspiracy theorists' as Rangers manager's 'ridiculous' critics told to pipe down

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Charlie Nicholas has hit out at the "conspiracy theorists" claiming Michael Beale 's move to Rangers was weeks in the making and says they need a dose of realism.

Beale was named as Gio van Bronckhorst's successor on Monday, returning to Ibrox on a three-and-a-half year deal. It comes weeks after he was back in the building for the first time since following Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa, taking in Rangers ' win over Aberdeen as a spectator.

But Nicholas reckons those linking that visit to his eventual return as manager are clutching at straws. And writing in his Scottish Daily Express column, he says those QPR fans accusing him of "disloyalty" need to look at it from the other end of the spectrum, as he doubts the club would have shown him the same courtesy if their downturn in results under the Englishman had continued.

Nicholas said: "It's ridiculous that some people are trying to take the moral high ground by accusing Michael Beale of disloyalty for quitting QPR for Rangers.