What Kevin Muscat could offer for Rangers if he takes over the hot seat: attacking principle, steely determination, and distinct playing style

Right after Rangers sacked Michael Beale on 1st October due to a miserable run, recording four wins and three losses, sitting third next to St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, Kevin Muscat has been heavily mentioned for the Ibrox vacancy.

Although the likes of Frank Lampard, Graham Potter, and Pascal Jansen are also rumoured for the job, Muscat is seen as one of the favourites in the race. With the knowledge of the circumstances at the Scottish giants from his playing days in the 2002-03 season, the current gaffer of Yokohama F. Marinos should face little problem to suit in there if the club is really keen to bring him back to Glasgow.

The 50-year-old Australian coach had served under Ange Postecoglou – the first Aussie manager in the history of the Premier League and one of the revelations in this season – at Melbourne Victory in early 2010’s as an assistant, and then took over his role in 2013, winning the A-League Championship twice in 2015 and 2018. After a six-month stint at Sint-Truidense in 2020, he was appointed manager of Marinos in July 2021.

“I received a fantastic offer from the club,” said Muscat at his online presentation in Yokohama. “The biggest reason to take over this position was the project Marinos has been building, which could suit me and my philosophy.”

Learned a lot from his mentor, Ange Postecoglou who has succeeded in Scotland

He went on to talk about his mentor, Postecoglou: “I learned from him that what you believe, and keeping faith in your style, having solidarity and strong core. He gave me congrats for this position. I want to take over his legacy and succeed.”

Keeping his word, Muscat won the J1 League in his first full season in 2022 with attacking style, which is seen as Marinos’ signature trait in recent years since Postecoglou’s reign.

In the 2023 season, Marinos has been competing top spot with Vissel Kobe, but Muscat’s side lost ultimately in the recent match-up against the rivals at home on 29th September, sitting second with four points behind now. Marinos has lost winning rhythm since the summer when they hosted Celtic and Manchester City, registering three wins in eight league matches after the break.

In the summer, the tricolored team in Kanagawa thrashed the Scottish champions by a 6-4 scoreline, and tightly contested with the treble winners, eventually lost 5-3. Before and after the City game at the National Stadium in Tokyo, City coach and players praised their Japanese opponents highly.

“They played very well,” Manuel Akanji told me in the mixed zone. “They have some good players, trying to play from the back and did very well. Similarity with us? There are some in common. But I think their build-up is a little different from ours, because their striker drops deep, and both wingers stay high – we don’t do that often. It is more like Brighton (and Hove Albion) and they (Marions) did it well today.”

Pep Guardiola said “Marinos are dynamic”

Ahead of the fixture, Pep Guardiola said: “I say wow. I watched Yokohama and I like what I see. Maybe because we are in the same football group – the City Football Group – they are doing a very good job. Tomorrow will be so difficult for us because they are so aggressive. They are dynamic in their process, the build-up, everything they do. I like it.”

So if Muscat would return to the blue side of Glasgow for the first time in more than 20 years, Rangers fans could watch fascinating attacking football, with a sort of Robert de Zerbi’s team’s build-up. For the Australian manager, it would be the chance to rebuild his coaching career in Europe, having failed at Sint-Truidense in 2020.

Also, it would be interesting comparison with his mentor, Ange Postecoglou who has succeeded at Celtic past two seasons. Now the biggest rivals of Celtic in the same city seem interested in his successor at Marinos.

Not only players but also coaches from Asia-Pacific are on the rise.