THE IBROX CLUB ARE ON THE HUNT FOR A NEW MANAGER AFTER SACKING RUSSELL MARTIN EARLIER THIS MONTH, BUT HAVE SEEN TOP TARGET STEVEN GERRARD PULL OUT AND ANOTHER FRONTRUNNER IN DANNY ROHL WITHDRAW FROM THE PROCESS IN THE LAST WEEK.
MUSCAT SEEMS TO BE THE MAN THAT CHAIRMAN ANDREW CAVENAGH AND VICE-CHAIRMAN PARAAG MARATHE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS THE PERSON THEY WANT IN THE DUGOUT NEXT, BUT HE IS CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF A TITLE CHARGE WITH CHINESE SUPER LEAGUE TEAM SHANGHAI PORT, MEANING HE WOULDN’T BE AVAILABLE TO JOIN UNTIL AFTER NOVEMBER 22ND.
RANGERS ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT OPTIONS TO NAVIGATE THE PERIOD OF GAMES WITHOUT HIM, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THIS WEEKEND’S SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP CLASH WITH DUNDEE UNITED, A EUROPA LEAGUE CLASH WITH BRANN AND A LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL AT HAMPDEN PARK AGAINST CELTIC — AND A ‘SECRET AGREEMENT’ BETWEEN MUSCAT AND MCCANN HAS NOW EMERGED THAT COULD BE THE SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEMS.
MUSCAT WANTS MCCANN ON RANGERS STAFF
MUSCAT IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE THE LEADING TARGET TO BECOME THE NEXT MANAGER AT IBROX, BUT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HE HAS BEEN IN THE MIX FOR THE ROLE AT RANGERS.
BACK IN 2023, AFTER MICHAEL BEALE WAS SACKED, MCCANN WAS INTERVIEWED FOR THE RANGERS JOB AND MADE IT TO THE FINAL SHORTLIST BEFORE THE CLUB ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO GO WITH PHILIPPE CLEMENT. BUT DURING THOSE TALKS, MUSCAT TOLD IBROX CHIEFS THAT HE WANTED FORMER RANGERS PLAYER MCCANN TO BE PART OF HIS BACKROOM STAFF AS HIS ASSISTANT MANAGER.
NOW IT’S UNDERSTOOD THAT MCCANN COULD STEP INTO THE ROLE OF INTERIM BOSS FOR THE UPCOMING GAMES, BEFORE BECOMING MUSCAT’S ASSISTANT WHEN HE JOINS IN NOVEMBER — IF HE FINALISES AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CLUB ABOUT TAKING OVER.
SO FAR DURING THIS INTERNATIONAL BREAK, UNDER-19 BOSS STEVIE SMITH HAS BEEN LEADING FIRST-TEAM TRAINING, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SUGGESTIONS THAT HE COULD LEAD THE TEAM AGAINST DUNDEE UNITED IF A FINAL DECISION HASN’T BEEN MADE BY THEN.
BUT IF MUSCAT IS CONFIRMED AS THE NEXT MAN TO LEAD RANGERS ON A PERMANENT BASIS, THEN IT COULD BE MCCANN WHO IS INSTALLED AHEAD OF THE WEEKEND CLASH WITH DUNDEE UNITED — AS PART OF THIS SECRET AGREEMENT THAT HAS NOW EMERGED.
