Kevin Muscat appears to have sent an emotional farewell to his current side Yokohama F Marinos amid his links to Rangers.
As reported by the Daily Record (11 October), Muscat approached fans during some “emotional scenes” after his side defeated Urawa Red Diamonds in the J-League Cup semi-final first leg, implying he could be heading to Ibrox.
Muscat joins Philippe Clement as the final two candidates the Rangers board are considering as Michael Beale’s replacement.
Whenever a manager or a player is linked with a move away from their club, their actions in their potential last game of the season can be very telling.
However, it can be easy to get swept away in speculation, but Muscat appears to be edging closer and closer to a new role, but Clement is still in contention. The Rangers board will not take this decision lightly as they will be keen to avoid another Beale-like misstep, so the continuing search is understandable.
As a manager, Muscat has quietly collected numerous honours outside of Europe including two A-League titles and the J-League in 2022, so he knows what it takes to win silverware. Rangers will need instant success and a notable uptick in performances, and the former Ibrox man has the CV to back himself.
Rangers fans will have their own opinion on each candidate and many will not approve of Muscat perhaps for his lack of European experience, but the club need a strong personality who knows what it means to wear the Rangers shirt. Muscat fits this bill.
The new boss will surely be announced soon, potentially before the end of the international break. Whoever is deemed good enough to take the hot seat will be a brave man, but should it be Muscat, he would not take the decision to leave Marinos lightly.
