Birmingham City’s John Eustace emerges as possible replacement for Michael Beale at Rangers | OneFootball

Birmingham City manager John Eustace has emerged as an early contender to replace Michael Beale at Rangers, the Daily Mail reports.

Having fought to replace Giovanni Van Bronckhorst with the English manager in November last year, there is already trouble in paradise, with Beale touted for an early exit.

Beale’s contract at Ibrox runs until 2026, but a series of poor results could force the Scottish club to cut him loose earlier than expected.

Speculation over Beale’s long-term future in Glasgow comes after Rangers suffered a humiliating Champions League play-off defeat to PSV Eindhoven last week.

They were held to a 2-2 draw in the first-leg clash in Scotland, leaving the tie delicately poised heading into the reverse fixture in the Netherlands.

However, Beale’s side fell to an astonishing 5-1 defeat to the Dutch giants, which saw them miss out on a chance to feature in Europe’s most prestigious tournament this season.

Rangers then lost 1-0 to historic rivals Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the Scottish Premiership season, leading to murmurs of discontent from the supporters.

The defeat leaves Rangers fourth in the table, four points behind the defending champions and already playing catch-up in the title race.

Rangers have already begun scouring for potential alternatives as they look to make changes in the dugout to salvage the remainder of the campaign.

Having plucked Beale from Queens Park Rangers last season, they are shopping in the Championship once again, with Eustace emerging on their radar.

The 43-year-old has caught the eye with his work at Birmingham after keeping the club in the Championship last term despite having to work with a limited transfer budget and dealing with changes off the pitch.

Eustace’s Blues are unbeaten in the English second tier this season, picking up 11 points from their opening five games and just two points behind leaders Preston North End.