Cardiff City could be set to miss out on the chance to appoint Michael Beale as the successor to Mick McCarthy with the Rangers coach likely to follow Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa if he takes that role, according to the Daily Mail.

The Bluebirds have been taking their time to assess their options as they aim to bring in the right manager or head coach to replace McCarthy at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Amongst the names that have been reported to be under consideration for the role has been Beale, with the Rangers coach being someone that the club’s hierarchy have been keen on from the start of their search.

It has though been widely reported that Rangers manager Gerrard has emerged as the leading candidate to take over at Aston Villa following their decision to part ways with Dean Smith ahead of the international break.

The latest report from the Daily Mail on that situation has suggested that should Gerrard decide to make a return to the Premier League with Aston Villa then it is highly likely that Beale would follow him to Villa Park.

 

 

That would see him continue to work as a coach under his current boss rather than move to Cardiff and become a number one.

A report from The Mirror has further added to the prospect of Gerrard taking the Villa job, with it being believed that he is keen on the position. That could mean that Cardiff’s chances of landing Beale might soon be over.

The verdict

This would be a blow for the Bluebirds hierarchy with them clearly having been keen to consider Beale strongly for the role at Cardiff. Therefore, they would have been wanting him to remain available to them if they decided that he was going to be the name they would pursue to replace McCarthy.

Beale would be a gamble of an appointment for Cardiff, but he has performed very well as a coach under Gerrard at Rangers and has grown a strong reputation of his coaching abilities. So, it could be a gamble that is worth taking with the Bluebirds needing to do something different having been through the likes of Neil Warnock, Neil Harris and McCarthy in recent times.

You can understand why Beale would be attracted to the prospect of staying part of Gerrard’s coaching setup for a new challenge in the Premier League with a club with Aston Villa’s ambition. They have spent heavily recently and their owners will back their new manager with funds to improve their current situation, so it is an exciting role.