Kevin Muscat certain for Rangers manager talks but fans will be ‘very disappointed’ – Sky Sports pundit
There is “no doubt” that Rangers will be interviewing Kevin Muscat for the vacant manager’s job after sacking Michael Beale, according to Michael Bridges.
The Sky Sports pundit said, via the Daily Record (3 October), that the Australian has been doing “unbelievable things” in Japan after succeeding Ange Postecoglou at Yokohama F Marinos and will “definitely” be set for an interview, but suggested Gers supporters will be “very disappointed” with the “placid” man he is now.
The ex-Ibrox defender was part of the treble-winning squad in the 2002-03 season and had a reputation in his playing days as an “animal” on the pitch.
Bridges said: “He’s doing unbelievable things at Yokohama F. Marinos, he’s followed Ange Postecoglou from Melbourne Victory. He went to Japan. He’s continued the trend there.
“Obviously what Ange Postecoglou did at Celtic winning the treble last season and then going to the Premier League. There’s a lot of Aussie coaches that have been given the green light where they’re on the other clubs’ radars and boards are thinking, hang on, the Australian coaches have got so much to offer.
“So I wouldn’t be surprised to see Muscat at Rangers. He’ll definitely be getting interviewed for it, no doubt, or they’ll be trying to get hold of him.
“It would be very interesting to see him go back to a club where he played his football. So he’s also got the fans, they’ve seen him play, they know how much of an animal he was on the park.
“But I think they’ll be very disappointed when they see him today, how placid he is now as a coach and how much of a nice guy he is now. But he did a great job for them.
“So watch this space. I wouldn’t be surprised if we could see him in the Scottish Premiership.”
Sensible?
The links aren’t surprising as a former player who is currently doing well in a job which has produced a manager that had success in Glasgow in recent memory.
Whether the Postecoglou pathway, coupled with the fact that Muscat has brief Ibrox history, is all that’s behind it will only become clear in the next few weeks.
An unsuccessful six-month stint in Belgium with Sint-Truidense V.V. in his only foray into European management so far is more likely to be a source of concern for Rangers fans than the fact the 50-year-old has mellowed with age.
John Bennett and the board have to make sure they are united behind a choice who is seen as the best option to take the club forward in a difficult time, whoever it is, rather than to get some short-term credit with a popular name.
Rangers have backed themselves into a corner by giving Beale so much influence and backing in such a short period, only for the 43-year-old to fail to deliver.
They are now left with a squad that the previous manager built just weeks ago and failed to even work for him.
How much money there will be available in January or next summer for the next boss in to sign players they want remains to be seen, although the sales this year will accounted for much of the spending.
There is no harm in interviewing Muscat, but he will need to show more than previous Rangers credentials and a vague similarity to Postecoglou to be worth bringing in.
In other Rangers news, the “outstanding candidate” will have already been sounded out, while a former FA Cup-finalist is expected to be keen on the role.