Kevin Muscat’s biggest red flag is something Rangers fans should be seriously worried about
Kevin Muscat looks set to be named as the next Rangers manager, with negotiations reportedly reaching an advanced stage.
Rangers are reportedly close to announcing Muscat’s appointment, though the Australian may not take charge until November.
Neil McCann looks set to take charge of Rangers until the end of the Chinese Super League season, with the former Gers defender eager to see out his final title-winning campaign with Shanghai Port.
The Chinese team will play their final game of the season on 22 November, with the 52-year-old expected to arrive at Ibrox soon after.
Danny Rohl dropped out of the race to be the next Rangers manager this week, with Steven Gerrard also passing up the chance to return.
Kevin Muscat failed in his only European role
Rangers will need to pay a £1.5million fee to hire Muscat, with the manager reportedly on an extremely lucrative contract in China.
The Gers look to be convinced about the 52-year-old, who has enjoyed huge success in Australia, Japan and China, although there is one glaring element of the former defender’s managerial record.
| Kevin Muscat | Shanghai Port |
| Matches | 77 |
| Wins | 50 |
| Draws | 12 |
| Losses | 15 |
| Scored | 194 |
| Conceded | 108 |
After a hugely successful period in charge of Melbourne Victory, Muscat was hired by Belgian side Sint-Truiden V.V. (STVV) in 2020, initially as a technical director.
And after just six months and the completion of his European coaching badges, the Australian was named as manager for the 2020-21 season.
However, the former Wolves player would oversee the Canaries for just 14 games before he was relieved of his duties.
His side had won just twice and lost seven, leaving the club 16th in the Belgian First Division and at serious risk of relegation.
Peter Maes would take over following Muscat’s dismissal, and lead the club to nine wins from 21 matches to narrowly avoid the drop at the end of the season.
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Muscat’s record provides cause for concern
Former Australia international Trent Sainsbury played against Muscat’s STVV team and believes his countryman was unlucky.
“His team played very good football, it’s just they could not buy a win,” Sainsbury told FTBL in 2020.
“They were a really difficult team to play against. Fast, high-pace, tempo, good press but even against us, we went down to 10 men, for I think 20 minutes, and they hit the crossbar, post.
- Muscat’s 14-game run at STVV saw his side lose by just one goal on three occasions.
- Five times, his side conceded three or more goals, even conceding six in one standout loss.
- STVV scored scored more than two goals in only one game under Muscat, during the aforementioned 6-3 loss.
“It’s just small things like that in every game that seemed to work against them. He was a bit unlucky but that’s the nature of the beast in this environment.“
Nevertheless, Muscat’s record provides huge cause for concern. The Rangers job, should he ultimately take it, will be the Australian’s first venture back into Europe since his stint in Belgium.
There is no arguing with the 52-year-old’s record outside of Europe, but – with all due respect – the competition is at a different level.
Rangers need almost a guarantee of stability after the disappointment of Russell Martin, yet the appointment of Muscat feels like a risk all over again.
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