Michael Beale on why Rangers have no Killie 'alarm bells'

Any further progress on departures?

Fashion Sakala is very close to moving to a team in Saudi. On that one, he was a player I was counting on and a player I have a strong relationship with, maybe even stronger than anyone else in the group. He has done really well for us. The strength of the relationship was important because the offer for him and his family was a very good one. It was something we spoke about. He leaves with well-wishers at Rangers. He will always be invited back but sometimes there's football and there's life and that was an offer for Fashion and his family he should have taken - and he has done that.

Will you be able to reinvest that money?

Possibly but I think the forward areas are looking quite healthy for numbers at the moment. Tom Lawrence is back in training and back available shortly. Kemar Roofe is back available so that's two players we didn't have last year so we are still quite healthy in numbers. 

How important are these qualifiers?

It's the elite competition isn't it and we had a taste of it last year after a number of years of not playing in it. Gio, his staff and the players did an outstanding job. The games at this level are always tough. I watched Servette against Genk last week and the mentality they showed was absolutely outstanding so we know we have got a tough opponent and we are not looking any further than that right now. To qualify again would be very good financially for the club, that's obvious and that's our aim right now. We know we are guaranteed group stage football regardless but we know we can't look any further forward than tomorrow night's first leg and making sure we get a positive result.

Will you make changes?

Yes. Naturally, we will refresh the group a little bit. One or two have had a few more days in their legs so naturally we will refresh the squad and the same again after.

How's Ridvan, is he in contention?

No, he will be back for the Morton game all being well.

What's the situation with Ben Davies?

Ben will return to training Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

Could he leave, has there been any interest?

At this moment in time, Ben is not available for selection. For the European squad for this round, you only have to pick for the next two weeks. Tom Lawrence hasn't featured for a long time and Tom Lawrence is only just back in. I can't keep selecting him for a game every three days if he's going to pick up on his fitness. Ben wasn't available. Rabbi Matondo was injured on the day that we'd already submitted the squad so that was really unlucky?

How is the team after the weekend?

Naturally, we are hugely disappointed and frustrated by the weekend. It wasn't what any of us wanted but we can't have the time to dwell on it. It's a really important game tomorrow night, it's a different competition. We can deal with the league again at the weekend when we face Livingston. There's a lot of frustration in the air, the game can't come around quick enough for the players, staff and fans. It's an important game and we trust the fans to  get right behind the team at Ibrox and it's important we play well on the night.

Was the game a bit of an eye-opener?

Yes. It's a club of big highs and very big lows and not much in between.  We know that. Listen, it was a disappointing result at the weekend. It's a place where as a football club we haven't always done well. At the weekend, possession-wise we were quite comfortable but I felt we lacked some directness and forward running in terms of our play. We will certainly want to improve on those aspects when we go back and play Kilmarnock.

Any alarm bells ringing?

No real concerns. I see the group training every single day. I see the level of the players that we have brought in. The group needs to settle down a little bit with the amount of players coming in. There's no excuse on that. We train together every game and we are a a team. We need to go out and get positive results and that game needs to be pushed to the back of our minds at the moment. We don't get anywhere dwelling on that. We need to play this game tomorrow night for what it is - a hugely important one. 

How critical is it financially for the club to get to the group stage?

Financially this summer, the money going out and the money coming in will even itself out. It's not like we haven't gone to the well for the finances to rebuild the squad. We've been very clever in our selection and the way we've done it in terms of the players who have left. Champions League finance is the biggest you can get in club football. If we do well over the next couple of years in Europe there's the new competition as well. But forget finances for a minute and think of the status of our club and what it means to the fans and the players. There's an achievement side of it I focus on much more than the financial side. I'm the worst person to be ask about those things. I'm just thinking about the ambitions of the players and the staff and fans to go and show a better face than we did last year. It was wonderful to be back. It took a lot of effort over the years from the different coaches to raise the co-efficient and get back in. Gio and his staff did an incredible job to get back in. For the players that are in the building and the ones that have been signed, the aim is to have a real positive season in Europe, ideally in the Champions League.

Was the Champions League something you were perhaps offering to players when you chatted to them over the summer trying to persuade them to come?

No, because we couldn't offer it. We could only offer the qualifiers but we can offer group stage football. The ultimate aim is to get to the Champions League but we know that we have to beat teams that are excellent sides, just like ourselves in their own national leagues and that's what we face tomorrow in Servette, a team that finished second in their league and had a really strong season last year. We can't specify where the European football will be unless we win the league and if we do that you are guaranteed it.

How important is experience in the Champions League?

When I was here previously we played a lot of games in Europe, forget about the competition, we played a lot of games. Of the players that got to the final I think it was like their 60th game in Europe over three of four years because of the amount of qualifiers. So certainly, that team was very experienced. The players we have brought in like Cyriel Dessers, Danilo and Sam Lammers come from teams that play in European competition and leagues. So they join a core of the team who have good experience at this level, certainly playing in knock-out ties and group games home and away in hostile environments. You hope they pull on that for sure.

Servette striker Chris Bedia - how much is he going to be a threat?

Excellent on his left foot, quick and powerful, I watched both of the games with Genk and they showed a little of everything and he was at the forefront. He's obviously lost his partner for this game but they have other players as well. The two central midfielders are very good, the boy off the right is a very good player. The one on the left is very good with his dribbling. We know enough about Servette to know the strengths they have got and he's just one of a few good players in their squad.

What target has the board given you?

No massive targets. I haven't been sat down by the headteacher and told what I have to achieve or not. It comes par for the course for this club in terms of what we want to achieve domestically and in Europe the aim for every team is to be still in the competition after Christmas and that ain't changing here. I'm not sure it will do at any point.

Is there a sense that Rangers and Celtic are more Europa League clubs than Champions League in terms of resources?

It depends on what balls are coming out of those pots! Last year it was a massive reward given the teams but it was tough. I believe if we earn the right to be there this year we jump up a pot and then the draw can be different. I remember being in a group with Porto and Feyenoord when we were in the Europa League and that was certainly a tough group. I looked at the Europa League last year and it looked like the strongest one I can remember in terms of the level of teams in there. At this level all the teams we can play are good and most of them spend more money than teams from Scotland in terms of the players they bring in so you know you are playing against high quality. 

People have mentioned a lack of width in the team. Are you confident you have the options you need to make a success of this season?

Listen there are loads of coaches after a game you don't win. That's the business and the nature of being a football coach. You try to black that out and believe in what you're doing. The team played the same way and won a hell of a lot of games last season, scoring lots of goals so when it's right it's right and when it's wrong I get it. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I believe the way we play is fine, I just think we have to be more decisive. 

Does it concern you that there isn't much time on the training pitch now with the games coming think and fast or is it best to play games?

At this moment, more playing and less analysing. You don't start 1-0 up or 1-0 down you just play the next game in front of you. The ball just needs to roll a little bit. We have signed good players, they come from good clubs with good pedigree. You all went and done the background checks on them coming in so lets go and get on with playing, the fans will get behind the team as long as they play with the energy the fans want to see which is what everyone wants to see.

Is there any movement on Glen Kamara?

No movement on that, no.

What are you expecting from Servette tomorrow?

That will have been hugely exciting for the fans back home in Switzerland. It was a fantastic job. Genk are a really dangerous team and I think everyone is aware of that. The games were fascinating to watch because we were on the outside looking in. The first game was end to end but the second game was hugely difficult with the sending off and tI thought the mentality and organisation was outstanding. In the end that's what probably won the day for Servette - so we know they have that inside them, that they are a good team and we will have two cracking games. Firstly the game here, then we know it's a sell out in Geneva as well. We are excited to go over and let's see. It's two great games to play in. 

How important are the crowd?

We can count on them. We know we can count on them. They are as strong as anywhere in the world. We know that on European nights. We've seen the stand shaking. We've seen it all. We know how important they are and they know how important they are. They showed at the weekend what they bring to the football club. It's important the players bring something to match that and give them something to stay on their feet cheering. Together it's hugely strong. It's a famous place to play football, Ibrox and that's what makes it special.

Can you enjoy being a coach with such high stakes?

You have to enjoy it. We are playing in a Champions League qualifier at Ibrox tomorrow night. As a coach you are in a very privileged position. These are your guys, you work with them every day and know the hopes and aims they have. You don't go on the pitch with them but you give them a plan and you go on there and want them to execute it. You know how much it means to people inside the club who have invested in it, board members, fans. I'm in a hugely privileged position. The last few days have not been ideal with the result at the weekend but I wouldn't want to switch positions with anyone else. I love the job I have. It's important we go out on the pitch super positive tomorrow to attack this game.

Are Rangers favourites?

If you want to say that it's fine. We will see how the first leg goes and next week it might be the reverse - so let's see. I think Servette have earned the right to be here. You have played very well over two legs against a very strong team when you were the underdog and you're here so nobody at this club is underestimating Servette in any shape of form. We will have to be at our very best if we want to advance.

Are you looking to end the game at Ibrox?

No. I don't believe at this level of competition that will happen. In my experience of European football, the game always goes to the last twenty minutes of the second leg and I'm sure this is going to be the case. We certainly won't be coming off or making too many changes or anything like that, this is a hugely important game for both teams and we will be paying it the respect it deserves.