Who is new Rangers manager Kevin Muscat? We asked our experts in Australia, Japan and China

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Rangers are reportedly set to confirm the appointment of Kevin Muscat as the club’s new head coach in the coming days. According to the Herald, the 52-year-old has agreed a long-term contract with the Ibrox club, with a seven-figure compensation fee agreed with his current club, Chinese side Shanghai Port. Due to the Chinese football seasons running until late November, Muscat won’t leave the Shanghai club until November 22. Neil McCann is expected to join Muscat as his assistant manager and fill in as interim head coach at the Scottish Premiership side until late November.

Having briefly played for the club as a player back in 2002, Muscat will make the move to Glasgow fully aware of the expectations that will be firmly placed upon him as the Rangers manager. He takes over after a disastrous spell for the club under previous head coach Russell Martin, who won just five of his 17 games in charge and left the Ibrox side languishing near the bottom of the league table. Despite his previous affinity to the club, Muscat is certainly seen as something of a left-field appointment by the club, having gained very little experience coaching in European football until now. So who is Muscat the football manager and what can we take from his time coaching in Australia, Japan and China? Transfermarkt reached out to its data scouts in each country to find out more.

Australia: Melboure Victory (2013-2019)

Muscat began his managerial career in Australia, taking on a role as assistant manager at Melbourne Victory prior to retiring from playing in 2012. After working under a number of managers – including future Celtic, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou – Muscat was appointed manager of the Australian club in 2013 and enjoyed a very successful six-year stint with “the Boys in Blue.” And that certainly earned him plenty of praise from many within Australian football.

During his time at the club, Muscat won two A-League Championships, the A-League Premiership and the FFA Cup. “Having won two A-League championships with Melbourne Victory back in the 14/15 and 17/18 season, Muscat is one of the most highly regarded managers in Australia,” noted Transfermarkt data scout for Australia, Klevio. “During the 14/15 season he won the treble (A-League regular season, playoffs and Australia Cup) with Victory, which is an incredible feat in Australian football.” Over the course of 160 league games, Muscat averaged a very impressive 1.71 points per game with Melbourne Victory and since he departed the club, the Melbourne side have failed to win another league title or indeed match Muscat’s highest points tally of 53 in the league campaign.

Japan: Yokohama F. Marinos (2021-2023)

Following a brief stint in Belgium, Muscat then returned to football management to take on the reins at J-League side Yokohama F. Marinos. Again, rather curiously, his career was once again intertwined with Postecoglou’s, as he succeeded his compatriot at the Nissan-run club. And, as he had already proved in Australian football, Muscat quickly got to work in the Japanese top-flight and proved to be a huge success.

“Muscut is held in very high esteem,” noted Yuta Izawa, data scout for Transfermarkt in Japan. “He is praised for inheriting and further developing the “attacking football” that Postecoglou brought to Marinos.” Izawa added: “During his two and a half years leading Marinos, the team consistently maintained top-tier domestic league finishes: 2nd place, 1st place, and 2nd place. Notably, they achieved these high rankings with limited resources, even amidst challenging circumstances such as players moving to overseas clubs and a spate of injuries.”

During his three seasons at the club, Muscat won 49, drew 18 and lost just 19, averaging an impressive 1.92 points per game – which was a notable improvement on Postecoglou’s average of 1.63 points per game in the Japanese top flight. And, as Izawa noted, also won the league title in 2022, alongside two runner-up campaigns by playing exciting football. “It featured high pressing; offensively, all players moved fluidly, building up play from the back line,” said Izawa when asked about Muscat’s style of football. Center backs, in particular, took on more playmaking responsibilities. In his third season in charge, his system struggled at times as opponents studied his style and tactics, but I don’t think there was any significant imbalance or inconsistency throughout the season.”

China: Shanghai Port (2023-2025)

After success in Japan, Muscat then made the move from Yokohama to Shanghai Port, where he has been guiding the Chinese Super League club to success for the best part of two years. Although “the Red Eagles” are certainly used to dominating their domestic league – the club have won five of the last 10 league campaigns – Muscat stepped in to replace Javi Pereira and immediately improved on the Spaniard’s record with the Chinese club.

“Muscat is highly regarded and widely considered a very successful manager in China,” said Zhu Yi, Transfermarkt’s data scout for China, when asked about the new Rangers manager’s reputation in China. “He earned significant praise for leading Shanghai Port to a domestic double (Chinese Super League and Chinese FA Cup), with his attacking philosophy and winning record making him a respected figure among fans and media.”

Across all competitions, Muscat has overseen no less than 77 games as manager of the Chinese club and has remarkably lost just 15 of those games. As such, his points per game average stands at a very impressive 2.10. Not only is that the highest average in Muscat’s managerial career to date, but it’s also the highest for any Shanghai Port manager in the history of the club. And, as he did in Australia and Japan, Muscat has achieved that success by playing gung-ho football.

“His teams were known for playing a high-intensity, aggressive, and attacking style of football,” noted Zhu Yi. “This was characterized by a high press, rapid passing, pushing the defensive line up, and a generally proactive approach that focused on dominating the game.” However, much like his predecessor at Melbourne and Yokohama, Muscat’s all-out tactics do have their limitations. “The most notable criticism was his team’s lack of adaptability, which became evident in continental competition,” added Zhu Yi. “His commitment to an aggressive, high-pressing game lacked tactical flexibility in the AFC Champions League Elite, where it led to a vulnerable defense and a string of poor results, highlighting a key weakness at a higher level of play.”

Whether Muscat’s tactics will come undone in the Scottish Premiership or help the Australian manager turn things around for the Ibrox club remains to be seen. But there’s little doubt that Rangers’ new manager makes his return to Glasgow with a wealth of experience and a glowing report card from his three major stints in Asian and Australian football.