Rangers manager Philippe Clement isn’t the only one on trial at Ibrox as the situation at the club reaches boiling point.
The Rangers hierarchy have enough on their plate as they reflect on three years of regression and try to build an executive team without four key backroom players.
With performances under Philippe Clement not up to scratch, the whispers surrounding the Rangers manager’s future have started and the axe is being sharpened.
Should it be left to swing, it would mark another sizeable failure in decision making from the club’s incumbent custodians with Clement the fourth boss in the Ibrox hotseat in three years.
But might the Ibrox side be regretting a failure to move for an alternative target who one former Rangers captain claims held talks with the club?
Rangers held ‘two interviews’ with Kevin Muscat
Former Rangers captain Craig Moore knows all about winning at Ibrox having spent a combined total of ten years in Glasgow across two spells.
As Rangers were locked in the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Michael Beale, Moore was asked about countryman and ex-Gers teammate Kevin Muscat.
Following the success of Ange Postecoglou at Celtic, Muscat was a reported frontrunner for the Rangers gig alongside Philippe Clement and Frank Lampard.
Indeed, Craig Moore has told Rangers fans that Yokohama F Marinos manager Kevin Muscat held talks with the Gers over the manager’s job at the time.
But the ex-Ibrox defender also revealed that the opportunity to sign Muscat has now gone, with the manager firmly focused on his exploits in Chinese football.
“He had two interviews at the time and he lost out and he was devastated to lose out at the time to Philippe Clement,” Moore told the Daily Record last month.
“He thought it was a great opportunity for him and it would have been a great job but Kevin now is doing a great job in China and that ship has well and truly sailed.”
At the time of the appointment, Moore gave his backing to Muscat, who the ex-Rangers defender describes as a ‘great mate’.
“His teams play entertaining football, score goals and they create,” said Moore. “He’s a great option for Rangers as far as I’m concerned.”
Aussie manager lights up CSL
In the time since those links, Rangers have lifted the League Cup, bottled a title race and crashed out of the Champions League.
Philippe Clement has also overseen a substantial squad overhaul with 16 players leaving the club and only nine new signings coming into the team.
Kevin Muscat meanwhile has been pulling up trees in China, with the Australian in charge of Shanghai Port having already conquered Japan.
Muscat went on an astonishing 23 league games unbeaten at the start of the Chinese Super League season with the ex-Rangers star’s team second in a tight table.
One point behind city rivals Shanghai Shenhua, the season has come down to the final two matches with things set to be decided within the next fortnight.
Whilst a shock 3-1 defeat to Chengdu Rongcheng has Muscat’s side up against it, the Australian could very much win a title in his first season.
With the discussion surrounding Philippe Clement’s future raging, Rangers might well regret not plumping for the Aussie coach when they had the chance.
The form of Kevin Muscat in China has even led to the manager being linked with a move Europe.
