Rangers like ‘very interested’ manager candidate Pascal Jansen with fans unhappy with Kevin Muscat pursuit
The “noise” from Rangers supporters around the possible appointment of Kevin Muscat is not positive amid the Ibrox hierarchy “looking at” the Australian, according to Dean Jones.
The former Eurosport journalist told GIVEMESPORT (2 October) that Gers fans “don’t seem to be on board” with the Yokohama F Marinos boss, but there will be mutual interest between the club and alternative option Pascal Jansen at AZ Alkmaar.
The Light Blues sacked Michael Beale on Sunday (1 October) after the home loss to Aberdeen left the club seven points behind Celtic already, with Steven Davis leading a caretaker management team while a successor is sought.
Jones said: “I believe that Muscat is one of the ones they are looking at. There are reasons to believe that that could be a success if you look at the coaching path he’s trying to take right now and the links he’s got there.
“But the noise from the fans does not feel like that will be the right appointment. They don’t seem to be on board with going for Muscat.
“I know also that Rangers do like the AZ Alkmaar coach Jansen, and he would be very interested in the job. So, that’s another one to consider.”
Early front runners
Just as the Rangers hierarchy shouldn’t simply go after a coach who appears to be popular with the fanbase right now they shouldn’t be scared away from one because the supporters aren’t yet on board.
Clearly, given how infuriated the fans have already become it would be a brave move to appoint someone who doesn’t have immediate support, but if the board are planning to take their time they have to use it to settle on who they think is genuinely the best option in the short and long-term.
Muscat’s work in Japan might suggest he could be the one to lift the squad at Ibrox, but his failed stint in Belgium also suggests the opposite.
Jansen is currently doing well in Eredivisie, sitting second after opening the campaign with seven games unbeaten, and might be seen as the better option on paper.
But it seems unlikely that the race will be restricted to just a couple of the early names even if they are both approached initially.
Having now lost a manager before Christmas in each of the past three seasons the club has to get this appointment right to break what is becoming a highly-damaging cycle.
In other Rangers news, a current SPFL boss is also thought to be a “contender” for the job.