I watched Kevin Muscat’s Shanghai Port win vs Qingdao and this is what Rangers fans can expect
Kevin Muscat took charge of Shanghai Port’s 4-3 win against Qingdao in the Chinese Super League on Friday, amid the ongoing speculation regarding the Rangers job.
Kevin Muscat is set to be appointed as the new Rangers manager in the next few days as talks continue with Shanghai Port over an agreement in compensation.
In the match on Friday, a topsy-turvy first half saw five goals scored as Muscat’s side when into the break leading 3-2.
A fourth was netted late on to ensure that Shanghai Port are three wins away from a second successive Chinese Super League title under Muscat.
Here is what Rangers fans can expect from Muscat’s style of play based on this performance.
Kevin Muscat delivers attacking masterclass vs Qingdao
Russell Martin was sacked for many reasons, yet perhaps the most important one was that he failed to deliver a cohesive, attacking style of play.
Ibrox had become volatile towards Martin due to the inability to create chances from open play, despite maintaining the lion’s share of possession throughout games.
In Shanghai’s victory over Qingdao, Muscat’s side were able to frequently carve open the opposition defence.
- Shanghai Port are top of the Chinese Super League with three games left to play
- They have scored 66 goals in 27 games
- Attacking midfielder Leonardo, who scored two against Qingdao, is currently the joint-second top scorer in the league
The former Rangers defender played under Ange Postecoglou when he was 17, and his footballing philosophy is similar in every aspect.
This attacking, man-for-man pressing formula was on display as Shanghai overwhelmed their opponents from start to finish.
However, Shanghai’s system against Qingdao was a 3-4-2-1 formation, with both full-backs maintaining wide positions to swing crosses into the box.
Whilst this is a formation the current squad is not suited to, Muscat is also perfectly capable of adapting his system.
In their last match against Wuhan Three Towns, Muscat deployed a 4-2-3-1 shape, something that has been used for the majority of the season.
Martin was slammed for his inability to change his tactics, and Muscat has clearly shown evidence that he is willing to change his ways based on the opposition his team are facing.
However, not everything was plain sailing for Muscat’s men, and his side’s defensive issues were exposed in the early proceedings of the match.
Kevin Muscat must improve his defensive tactics after Shanghai Port’s shaky performance at the back
Rangers have been woeful defensively under Martin, with the Bears conceding over a goal a game under his stewardship.
Shanghai Port were weak in their defending against Qingdao, allowing the 15th-placed visitors to grab a foothold in the match.
A terrible defensive line allowed Qingdao to take the lead through Didier Lamkel Ze, whilst the inability to deal with a simple cross allowed Ze to level the scores up at 2-2.
After conceding a late consolation goal, it’s clear that Muscat’s attacking philosophy will need to be refined if he joins Rangers.
Following Shanghai Port’s victory, one thing has been made abundantly clear: Muscat is going to provide the Ibrox crowd with a huge amount of entertainment.
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