Rangers can prepare for Muscat by playing star with “feet like drumsticks”

Glasgow Rangers are inching ever closer to finally appointing their next head coach after they decided to relieve Russell Martin of his duties before the start of the international break.

The Light Blues made the decision to part ways with the former Scotland international after a poor run of form that saw his side win five out of 17 matches.

Martin’s side, as illustrated in the graphic above, were simply not good enough across his time in charge of the Scottish giants, conceding a whopping 24 goals in 17 matches.

RangersReview reports that Kevin Muscat is close to finalising a deal to join the club from SH Port, and that an announcement could come this weekend.

The English-born tactician is set to see out the last three matches of the Chinese Super League season, with his team sat at the top of the table, before coming in as the long-term replacement for Martin next month.

Youth team coach Steven Smith will be in interim charge for the clash with Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday, but it remains to be seen who will be in charge after that and before Muscat comes through the door.

What Rangers fans can expect from a Kevin Muscat team

Based on SH Port’s performances this season in the Chinese Super League, Rangers fans can expect a winning culture and entertainment from a Muscat team.

In the Super League, his side are top of the league with 60 points from 27 matches in a 30-game division, and have scored 67 goals in that time, eight more than any other team, per Sofascore.

Interim boss Steven Smith claimed that Rangers need a winner in the dugout in his pre-match media duties on Friday, which suggests that Muscat is the perfect man for the job.

The SH Port manager is on course to win a league title for the third time in his last four seasons as a manager, with his team sat four points clear with three games to go.

As you can see in the table above, Muscat is used to managing teams that are competing for league titles every season, and he has shown that he can coach a side to get over the line and win silverware.

However, supporters who were not too keen on the defensive set-up and record under Martin may not be too pleased to learn that SH Port have conceded 41 goals in 27 league games this season.

Muscat’s strengths are clearly in structuring a team to attack and score goals, rather than defend and cling on to 1-0 or 2-1 leads, and supporters will hope that that approach will be enough to turn the tide in Glasgow.

Whilst he may not officially link up with the team until next month, there are things that Steven Smith, or the next interim, could do to prepare the squad for Muscat.

For example, the SH Port manager typically deploys right-footed forward Ruofan Liu on the right wing to provide creativity at the top end of the pitch.

The 24-year-old has created nine ‘big chances’ and delivered five assists in 17 league starts in 2025, per Sofascore, and Smith must unleash Oliver Antman against Dundee United to be Muscat’s next Liu in the making.

Why Rangers must unleash Oliver Antman against Dundee United

Mikey Moore has started three of the last five Scottish Premiership matches for the Light Blues on the right wing, including the 1-1 draw with Falkirk last time out.

The 18-year-old attacker, however, has failed to provide much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch for the Gers, with no goals and one assist in ten appearances, per Transfermarkt.

His only assist for the club to date was a short pass to Nedim Bajrami, who scored a screamer from distance against League One outfit Alloa Athletic, which suggests that he has yet to provide any moments of genuine quality in front of goal.

Antman, on the other hand, is a right-footed right winger who has shown glimpses of the creative quality that he can provide when he is at his best.

The Finland international has delivered three assists in 13 matches for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, since his summer move from Go Ahead Eagles, including one for James Tavernier in the Premiership in the clip below.

Antman, who reporter Chris Jack claimed has “feet like drumsticks“, also showcased his creativity in the Netherlands with Go Ahead Eagles in the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old wing wizard ended the season with a return of six goals and 15 assists in 32 Eredivisie appearances for the Dutch outfit before his move to Ibrox in the summer transfer window, per Sofascore.

As you can see in the table above, Antman ranked as one of the most creative attacking midfielders or wingers in the league for Go Ahead Eagles last term.

This shows that he has the potential to be a Liu-type player for Muscat if he can unlock his best form in a Rangers shirt, as he has the creative potential to be a consistent threat as a right-footed right winger in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 system.

Therefore, Smith can warm him up for the next Gers head coach by playing him from the start against Dundee United this weekend, so that he can start to find his feet and gain confidence in Scottish football.