Rangers and Kevin Muscat fail to strike next manager deal as senior player makes big admission on future

It had been widely expected that Muscat, who is currently in charge of Shanghai Port, would be announced as Rangers’ next manager imminently after advanced talks with the Ibrox hierarchy.

However, it emerged on Sunday afternoon that following the latest discussions between Muscat and Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart, sporting director Kevin Thelwell and San Francisco 49ers’ Gretar Steinsson, the deal was in grave doubt, with the 52-year-old’s immediate availability understood to be the stumbling block.

Muscat is committed to finishing the season with his club in China and the prospect of a delayed start, potentially into December, made the practicalities of an appointment unworkable. All parties have now moved on and Ibrox chiefs will once more turn their attentions to other targets.

It is another major blow to the current Rangers hierarchy in what is becoming an increasingly protracted saga as they hunt for a new head coach.

Rangers have been searching for a replacement for Russell Martin for a fortnight after he was sacked just four months into the job following a 1-1 draw at Falkirk on October 5.

In an open letter to Rangers supporters a day later, chairman Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers chief Paraag Marathe stated that “a rigorous, thoughtful recruitment process is already under way, and we are treating it with the urgency it deserves”. They entered into extensive negotiations with former Gers boss Steven Gerrard, only for the 45-year-old to withdraw from the running, and since then, ex-Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has also taken himself out of consideration.

Former Rangers defender Muscat then became the odds-on favourite to come in - but was not prepared to walk away from Shanghai Port until the Chinese season ends, with his team two points clear at the summit of the Super League with three matches remaining.

Muscat may not have become available until early December and while that did not originally appear to deter Rangers or indeed the Australian, there was a shift after the latest round of talks between the two parties and no further progress could be made.

Smith remains as caretaker

Stevie Smith is the caretaker manager at Rangers right now and presided over a 2-2 home draw with Dundee United on Saturday. That result leaves them 13 points behind Premiership leaders Hearts with just one league win all season.

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland described his emotions as “angry” in a post-match interview and when asked about the possibility of another season getting away from the Ibrox club, he said: “Of course it can. We’re better off not sort of beating around the bush.

“We know what we want to achieve and what this club expects, but the reality is at the minute we haven’t shown that. So that, as tough as it sounds, and as hard as it is for me to say, is a reality.

“We don’t want it to drift away, of course not, but we have to be realistic about where we find ourselves right now and thinking about where we can get to and what’s achievable is irrelevant.

“We need to start changing what we’re doing and taking on the lessons and getting better, as simple as that, and start putting in performances that the fans can that can align with and recognise as the Rangers team that they can get behind and believe in, which too often we haven’t been. That’s just a fact, so we need to get to that.”

Rangers return to action on Thursday night when they travel to Norway to face Brann Bergen in the Europa League before hosting Kilmarnock in the league next Sunday.