Incoming Rangers head coach Kevin Muscat delivered a revealing response regarding his Ibrox switch after edging closer to the Chinese championship with Shanghai Port. The Daily Record revealed that Muscat has agreed terms to succeed Russell Martin whilst embroiled in a three-horse race for the Chinese Super League title.
A thrilling 4-3 triumph over Qingdao on Friday morning brought the club nearer to retaining their crown – however wins for Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenua ensure the championship battle will likely extend to the final day on November 22. Andrew Cavenagh and the Rangers hierarchy seem willing to wait until the Chinese Super League campaign wraps up before securing his services – and the Australian has suggested he’s in agreement and in no hurry to depart his present club.
Following the match, Muscat turned his attention to the season’s closing stages and advancement in the AFC Champions League amidst a congested fixture list.
He said: “The schedule is indeed quite dense. Upon returning, we will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the squad and player condition. We may rotate players to some extent, based on our normal preparations.
“Besides the upcoming AFC Champions League Elite League, we also have a crucial match on the 26th of this month, for which the team will be fully prepared.
“Overall, this victory was very important to us. The players’ commitment and attitude on the field showed that everyone was aware of the impact of this result.
“While we could have done better in some areas, especially in terms of seizing opportunities, considering this was an away game, we scored a lot of goals and ultimately returned to Shanghai with three points. The whole team is very happy and satisfied.”
Muscat also provided a glimpse into what Rangers supporters can anticipate from his squad when he eventually arrives in Glasgow.
The 52-year-old maintained his team were overly “conservative” – despite the seven-goal spectacular: “We had analysed this before the game and knew that neither side could afford to lose, so we were prepared to face the difficulties.
“We knew that the opponent would intensify their attack in the second half, but would also leave us some space to counterattack.
“If there’s anything we need to summarise, it’s that we were a bit conservative at times, which resulted in our defence dropping deeper and giving our opponents more time to hold onto the ball and build their offence.”
