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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Ben Banks

Michael Beale told Rangers buzzwords can't be handpicked in derby aftermath as cautionary Kieran Dowell tale arrives

Michael Beale has been told that he can't pick and choose when to throw around words like 'mentality' in the aftermath of Rangers' latest loss to Celtic.

The Hoops are through to the Scottish Cup final after beating their rivals 1-0 on Sunday thanks to an unmarked Jota header and are overwhelming favourites in the showpiece against Championship side Inverness, while they can wrap up the Premiership title away at Hearts this week. It leaves Beale's side looking down the barrel of a trophy-less season and Parkhead hero Grant had his eyebrows raised when the Rangers boss said post-match 'We throw the big words out - mentality and character' upon assessing his side switching off for Jota's winner.

He believes it's the Londoner throwing out such demands and that such phrases can't be put out on tap. Grant told Go Radio: "It comes into the backpost and look at Jota's movement. The thing you have to say as the defender is that if you can't see the man and ball, you are in the wrong position. You learn that from knee high. Let's be honest, it's constantly it happens, it is not a one off.

"He talks about mentality and these words, Michael Beale has to be careful as it is him that uses those words. He keeps putting them out there to everyone so he can't pick and choose when he uses mentality and all that sort of stuff. He has to remember what he says to the press up here as they are asking the questions that he talks about and if that had come into Celtic's box, Celtic would have cleared it."

A former player and manager at Norwich City, Grant has caught wind of the rumours linking Canaries man Kieran Dowell with a summer move to Rangers. And while he believes the playmaker has talent, his injury record leaves him wondering.

He added: "They are talking about Kieran Dowell. It is a club I follow closely and he has hardly played any games, injuries, there's no doubt of his talent.

"He never seems to be fit and you look at what happened with big John Souttar, he had a few injury problems and then ended up having a fracture. I just think they have to be very careful.

"You need to get all these guys fit and then it maybe looks a bit better. But you have to add and it is imperative the boys you bring in are starters and can they handle wearing the blue jersey."

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