Exclusive: Ex-player reveals exactly what Rangers have missed out on after Danny Rohl appointment
Rangers have hired Danny Rohl after a process that saw several coaches under consideration at Ibrox.
Kevin Muscat looked set to be named Rangers manager just days ago, with the final details of the negotiation reportedly being ironed out.
But in a last-minute twist, the move collapsed, with the Gers unwilling to wait for the Australian to finish the Chinese Super League season with Shanghai Port.
Rangers have now confirmed the appointment of Danny Rohl, despite the German having reportedly dropped out of the race last week.
Sporting director Kevin Thelwell has faced huge criticism for his oversight of the manager search, with several candidates dropping in and out of the race.
Kevin Muscat knew ‘which players needed a yelling at’
Muscat will not be the next Rangers manager, but Ibrox News exclusively spoke to one of his former players, who has revealed what the Gers have missed out on.
Mitch Austin arrived at Melbourne Victory in 2016, three years after Muscat had taken over from Ange Postecoglou at the helm.
The former defender was known to be ruthless during his time in the First Division and the Australian A-League, picking up 12 red cards throughout his career.
Something the Rangers squad could benefit from, fans may have thought, given the Gers’ shocking start to the season.
But Austin has revealed that Muscat would have been more likely to take his time to process a bad result.
“He knows his players well, which goes down to his man management,” the winger exclusively told Ibrox News.
“Most of the time, he wouldn’t actually come into the dressing room after a game if it was a bad loss. Instead, leaving it till the Monday after him and the coaching staff analysed the game and watched it back.
“He knew which players needed a yelling at to get them going and players that needed an arm around them.”
Mitch Austin hopes Muscat is ‘given the time’
Austin, who now creates content for Borussia Dortmund, moved to Scotland to join Partick Thistle in 2019, but made just two appearances before his time with the Jags was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The winger believes his career in Scotland may have continued had he been under the management of Muscat, however.
“I think he would have done well at Rangers, definitely,” Austin said, as news had broken of the move’s collapse. “They are a huge club and I think his brand of football would do very well in Scotland.
“I think my time in Scotland would have gone a lot differently if I had him as a coach with the style of football he brings.”
Muscat’s appointment had been drawn into question due to his time in Belgium with Sint-Truidense V.V., where the Australian spent just 14 games in charge before he was sacked.
| Kevin Muscat | Sint-Truiden V.V. |
| Matches | 14 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Scored | 17 |
| Conceded | 27 |
“I’m sure he will have learnt a lot from his stint in Belgium as well as in China, where he has done very well,” the 34-year-old explained.
“The thing with European football is that you don’t always get a lot of time; owners and fans expect results straight away, as Ange Postecoglou now knows from his time at Nottingham Forest.
“I think he could have taken Rangers back to the top.”
In an ironic twist, Muscat’s time is over before it even started. Rangers will now look to start new under Rohl, but may be left to regret their decision in the coming months.
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