This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Queens Park Rangers have made an official approach for Aston Villa assistant manager Michael Beale in their search for a new head coach, according to The Telegraph's John Percy.

The 41-year-old has been the right-hand man of Steven Gerrard since 2018 when he joined Rangers, following him to the Villains in November 2021.

 

 

 

 

Before that, Beale held a number of roles at Liverpool, including Head of Academy Coaching and manager of the Reds' under-21's, as well as being an assistant at Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo.

And the R's hierarchy see Beale as an ideal fit for the club as they look to fill the vacancy left by Mark Warburton, who was released from his contract following the conclusion of the 2021-22 Championship season.

Would Beale be the right man for the Hoops job though? We asked the FLW team for their thoughts...

Marcus Ally

Opting for a manager with more of a coaching background has given teams an advantage in the loan market in recent years.

This could be the case with Michael Beale if he arrives at Loftus Road ahead of next season.

The 41-year-old has been assistant manager to Steven Gerrard at both Rangers and Aston Villa, but is being targeted by EFL clubs for the main job.

Villa have overseen some ambitious recruitment already in this summer window, and that may convince Beale to stay put.

With Liam Manning out of the picture, this one marries up with that approach more than Gareth Ainsworth for example, and it would represent a change of direction for the club, following Mark Warburton’s dismissal.

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

I think Michael Beale could be a very interesting appointment for QPR.

He's worked under Steven Gerrard for a number of years now and has been credited with a big part in the success the former Liverpool man had at Rangers.

By all accounts Beale is a fine coach, and it is clear he has built himself a good reputation during his coaching career so far.

The clear downside to this for the R's is Beale's lack of experience being a head coach or manager.

Beale has been a boss in the youth setups at Chelsea and Liverpool, but never in senior football.

As a result, QPR may want to go with a more experienced head, with the 41-year-old a risk in that sense.

It could be a risk with tremendous upside, though.

Adam Jones

Not taking charge of a Championship side before, this would be a bit of a gamble from QPR and one they didn't need to make considering they had a stable figure in Mark Warburton at the helm.

However, he is probably one of the better candidates to be linked with the role considering his success north of the border and at Villa with Steven Gerrard and the R's supporters would probably prefer him to Sol Campbell or Tim Sherwood.

How well he makes the transition from being a coach to being a manager will determine how successful he is at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium - but his experience of being an assistant manager should tee him up nicely for this role.

Still, it's a gamble and he will need to make a fast start if he is to keep the fans onside considering his inexperience as a head coach.