Seven-figure hoop Rangers must jump through to get Kevin Muscat revealed as Aussie boss becomes Ibrox front runner
The former Wolves and Crystal Palace defender is now bookies favourite for the Govan vacancy
As the International break draws to a close, Rangers are still on the hunt for their new manager.
After Russell Martin’s dismissal, Sporting Director, Kevin Thelwell was hoping to have the replacement sorted by the end of the break, but with the Dundee United fixture just around the corner, he will need to act fast if this is to be the case. The search has proved unsuccessful so far as former Sheffield Wednesday boss, Danny Rohl is the latest candidate to bow out of the race. The German was the bookies favourite after Steven Gerrard also ruled out an Ibrox return.
After the two snubs, it’s back to square one for the Rangers board, as Shanghai Port manager, Kevin Muscat is the latest bookies favourite. The Australian spent a year in Govan as a player and is reportedly open to the idea of a Glasgow return. However, while he is still contracted to the Chinese Super League outfit, there appears to be a few complications.
Seven-figure compensation bill for Muscat
If Rangers are serious about their interest in Kevin Muscat, according to the Daily Record, they will have to pay Shanghai Port £1.5m in compensation. The 52-year old is contracted to the Chinese giants until December 2026 and is currently on course to win back-to-back Super League titles. Shanghai Port currently sit top of the table with just four games to go.
Another complication to throw into the mix for Thelwell and co is that Muscat would not be able to head to Ibrox until the Chinese League title has been secured. However, with Chengdu Rongcheng and rivals, Shanghai Shensua within touching distance of Muscat’s side, this may go down to the last game of the season next month. Despite this, if results go the way of Shanghai Port, they could be crowned Champions as early as 26th October.
While Steven Smith took charge of training during the International break, if Muscat is chosen, Neil McCann would reportedly be the man to take over interim duties. The former Rangers winger was part of Barry Ferguson’s backroom staff last season during his caretaker Ibrox stint.
Ange in disguise?
A no-nonsense, philosopher of the game from Down Under, natural parallels are being drawn between Muscat and former Celtic boss, Ange Postecoglou. Like ‘big Ange’, Muscat has made his name in Asia where he won the Japanese J1 League during his time at Yokohama F. Marinos before heading to Shanghai.
Prior to that, the Ibrox front runner spent seven years at Melbourne Victory, where he won two A-League Championships. The Nottingham Forest manager also completed this feat, winning back-to-back titles with Brisbane Roar in 2011 and 2012.
It is also believed that Muscat likes his teams to play with high energy and intensity, similar to Postecoglou’s ‘we never stop’ attitude towards the game. To add to this, when Ange took over at Celtic, they were just off the back of losing the SPFL Premiership title by 25 points to their rivals, but he was able to turn it around. Rangers fans will be hoping if Muscat is appointed that he can do the same.