Kevin Muscat available for ‘knockdown compensation’ as manager reaches final round of Rangers talks – Keith Jackson
Kevin Muscat is available for a “knock down compensation package” after he was put through to the final round of the race to be Rangers boss, according to Keith Jackson.
The journalist reported via the Daily Record website late on Thursday 5 October that the Australian had a video call with Ibrox chiefs on Wednesday morning after returning to Japan from his side’s Asian Champions League match in China and was then advanced to the last stage.
The Yokohama F Marinos boss is reportedly stalling on a new deal at the J1 League side while the Light Blues are searching for a replacement for Michael Beale who was sacked last weekend (1 October).
And as the 50-year-old currently only has a matter of weeks left on his current deal in Japan he would only require a cheap payoff to his current side.
Muscat spent a season at Ibrox as a defender two decades ago during a treble-winning campaign for the Gers under Alex McLeish, and joins Frank Lampard as candidates to make it to the final round of the manager race.
Heating up
With league titles on his record in both Australia and Japan, where he succeeded former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou at both Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F Marinos, Muscat has a reasonable claim to the Rangers job.
He is unlikely to get many of the supporters off their seats in anticipation of his potential return to Glasgow, but the same ambivalence met his compatriot when he arrived at Parkhead.
Were it not to work out back at Ibrox for Muscat Rangers would no-doubt be ridiculed for attempting to copy the Postecoglou blueprint and coming up short.
But if Muscat, 50, impresses in talks with Rangers bosses then he would appear to be more deserving than Lampard on paper.
The miserable defeat in Cyprus on Thursday night has added extra pressure to finding a permanent replacement for Beale, with Steven Davis and his caretaker team getting no response from the players in the Europa League loss to Aris Limassol.
There may yet be others who the club advance to the final round but if it is a head-to-head race between Muscat and Lampard the Australian seems the more logical option, even if the choices are somewhat underwhelming to the fanbase.
In other Rangers news, the club have been told to bring an up and coming manager who is gunning for back-to-back promotions into the frame by a former charge.