As Michael Beale arrived at Aston Villa as one of Steven Gerrard’s trusted coaching lieutenants, fans knew he had an interesting back story having spent time with Rangers, Liverpool, Sao Paulo and Chelsea during his own coaching development period, so hopes were high about what he would bring to us.
With plenty of understandable consternation from Rangers fans given the mid-season block coaching moves we saw following the appointment of Gerrard and their own mini period of dominance back in the Scottish Premiership as Celtic continue their mini implosion, Beale recently shared a photo of a family dinner on Instagram, and one fan thought he’d picked the perfect joke to respond with.
Having posted the above, one Rangers fan barbed.
“Bet you left halfway through dinner.”
This didn’t go over well with Beale and instead of ignoring it, he countered back with.
“No mate. Left after one league defeat in 52 and an invincible season. Signing players for free or 50K or from League One that are now worth millions. All about opinions though isn’t it mate? Have a good Xmas – you don’t have a clue what went on.”
Quite the polite riposte and the majority would say Beale more than won that one, but I wonder how many Rangers fans are left wondering ‘what (actually) went on’ – but it’s not for a Villa fan site to delve deeper into what his meaning may have been.