Kevin Muscat’s bid to become Rangers’ new head coach has hit a dead end, with the deal potentially on the verge of collapse. The Daily Record claims the 52-year-old Australian is stuck despite agreeing in principle to replace Russell Martin after positive talks with owner Andrew Kavenagh and vice-chairman Parag Malate last Thursday.
Muscat then entered into further discussions with CEO Patrick Stewart, athletic director Kevin Thelwell and San Francisco 49ers forward Greter Stenneson, during which potential obstacles emerged. There are now growing concerns among those involved that the deal could be scrapped and Muscat, who still has a year left on his current contract, take command of the Shanghai port.
His team won 4-3 against Qingdao Haiyu on Friday and remains two points clear at the top of the Chinese Super League with three games remaining.
Neil McCann, Muscat’s chosen assistant, was expected to be in charge for Saturday’s game against Dundee United at Ibrox.
However, Under-19 coach Stevie Smith was ultimately given the reins as Rangers dropped a further two league points in the second half of a 2-2 draw.
Smith then admitted he was still unsure whether he would manage Thursday night’s Europa League game against Brann Bergen.
If Muscat’s contract is approved and approved earlier this week, he is likely to have his own staff in place in time for his visit to Norway.
Muscat planned to assemble a behind-the-scenes team of familiar faces, with McCann as his assistant.
He also hopes to bring in compatriot Les Geris from Shanghai to take up the role of head of high performance and head of medical at Ibrox.
German candidate Danny Rohr formally withdrew from the campaign last week after a meeting with Kavena and Malate, with Muscat taking over as the clear front-runner.
No. 1 pick Steven Gerrard also expressed concerns about the club’s management structure and asked to be removed from the competition.
