Former Birmingham City star Emile Heskey has weighed in on the reports linking manager John Eustace with the newly-vacant Rangers hot seat following Michael Beale’s sacking at the weekend.
In seven league outings this season, the Scottish giants have lost three times while also losing heavily against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League playoffs. Already sitting seven points off bitter rivals Celtic, the Rangers board decided to pull the plug on Beale’s time in charge.
One of the favourites to take over from the ex-Queens Park Rangers head coach is Birmingham manager Eustace, as reported by The Daily Mail at the start of September.
Merely a day later, The Telegraph reported that Birmingham City already have a succession plan in mind if Eustace leaves and will look to prise former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney away from his current role at DC United in the MLS.
These links have gone quiet ever since Rangers started to pick up wins in the Scottish Premiership but are now back in circulation after Beale’s dismissal two days ago.
Ex-Blues striker Emile Heskey believes that Eustace should remain at St. Andrew’s and that the Championship outfit are a bigger attraction than Rangers. Speaking on the rumours to altindex.com, Heskey said [quotes via Football Scotland]:
“Birmingham have got a great manager in John Eustace. John has been linked with the Rangers job in the past, and again following Michael Beale’s sacking over the weekend, so Birmingham need to do all they can to keep hold of him and to fight off those sort of clubs from taking him.
“It’s going to be difficult for Birmingham to do that when you see the likes of a Rangers show interest in John and come in for him because they’re a top team playing European football.
“But I think the lure of taking Birmingham to a play-off final, and hopefully up into the Premier League, could be a bigger attraction to him and he’ll want to stay at Birmingham for that reason.”
Writer’s View
It’s difficult to agree with Heskey here. Getting Birmingham City back to the Premier League would be a huge achievement, but right now, the Blues don’t have a good enough squad to do so.
If Rangers hand Eustace the opportunity to take over from Beale, it’ll be tough to turn it down given that the side are playing European football this season. Also, things can go wrong very quickly in football. This may be Eustace’s only chance at taking over at a massive club.
