Rangers 'strange' recruitment miss that is needed BEFORE new boss pinpointed as Beale experiment proves misstep

Philippe Clement has never worked without one. Kevin Muscat served his coaching apprenticeship under a man who showed at Celtic he didn’t need one. And former Rangers ace Neil Murray simply can’t believe his old side still don’t have one.

When it comes to directors of football, Rangers have had mixed luck down the years. But Murray - a former chief scout and head of recruitment at Ibrox as well as a four-time league champion under Walter Smith - fears his old side are in danger of putting the cart before the horse if they plough ahead with plans to replace Michael Beale without first finding someone to take over Ross Wilson’s duties.

It’s now six months since the Ibrox board allowed sporting director Wilson to escape the growing fan fury that was being focused in his direction as another title chase got away from the Light Blues on the back of a failed recruitment drive. The decision left Michael Beale holding the keys to the coffers but without anyone above him to keep an eye on how he was spending the club’s cash, it proved to be another disastrous misstep for both the club and the Londoner.

Now less than 10 weeks into the new season, Rangers are on the lookout for their third boss in the space of two years with Celtic yet again out in front. But Murray reckons the hunt for Beale’s replacement on the ground floor should only have started once they had first installed someone upstairs.

The 50-year-old hero of Gers’ nine-in-a-row era - who now splits his time working as an agent and for a sports data analysis firm - told Record Sport: “I’ve got to be honest, I’m amazed that Ross Wilson wasn’t replaced. I find it strange.

“If you give a manager the keys to the castle and carte blanche to bring in players then it’s often a