Michael Beale showed Rangers emotions in latest post-mortem as Neil Banfield certain boss is reading up on forum chat

Neil Banfield did the talking for Michael Beale yesterday but nobody should read too much into that.

Nor, the Rangers assistant manager insists, should anyone doubt for a minute Beale can handle the heat that was so fierce on Sunday he felt the blast from the Ibrox furnace even in a win over Motherwell. Banfield, the experienced coach who was Arsene Wenger’s trusted lieutenant for so long at Arsenal, has assumed media duties for the Viaplay Cup, where Gers host Livingston in a match that would almost certainly have drastic consequences for Beale should it be lost.

That’s the pressure the Gers boss is facing almost on a weekly basis at the moment but Banfield is adamant his young boss can deal with it. He said: “100 per cent. If you speak to him in there, without a doubt he can get through this. He has a good staff who will support him and who speak with him.

“He’s a young manager in terms of games but he has been involved in football a long, long time and has been in this situation before. He’s strong for it and is so driven to be successful for Rangers.

“I don’t listen to or read the forums but I’m sure Michael does. He is well aware it’s part of being Rangers manager - it comes with the territory. But he’s got his vision for Rangers.

“It’s not something you’re not ready for. If you’ve been in management for as long as we have with different clubs, we know these spells are going to come. You prepare for situations like this. They might not happen, but you prepare for them.

“You have to be ready for it, for how you’re going to attack it and how you’re going to get over it and move forward. Whatever we’re doing at the moment we’re still winning.

"If we can win this period of games, and get through on Wednesday night,