Former Rangers hero Craig Moore has admitted his compatriot and former Gers team-mate Kevin Muscat is a “great mate”.
But once the disclaimer wears off, he’s happy to give him a ringing endorsement as the replacement for the fired Michael Beale. Next Permanent manager of Rangers.
Some Rangers fans believe the Gers will simply follow in the footsteps of city rivals Celtic if they go the Australian route.
Not only that, they just appointed a manager who happened to inherit a successful team from the current Spurs boss.
But Moore thinks that analysis is unfair and misunderstands the fact that his champions, the Yokohama Marinos, have a “middle-of-the-pack” budget.
Not only that, he believes Muscat is a “totally different character” from the firebrand player who often “crosses the line” when faced with some challenges on the pitch.
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He told Go Radio: “It’s difficult for me because I know Kevin Muscat very well.
“He is my good friend.
“I have always been an admirer of his Work for a while.He went to Japan and did great things Work.
“What people here don’t understand is he has an Angle team and they think it’s going to be easy.
“But their budget is ninth in the J-League – it’s a mid-table budget.
“He won the league and the equivalent of Charity shield.
“They lost to Vissel Kobe last weekend so they are second in the table.
“I’ve lost six or seven players summer It must be replaced from within. So he punches very hard.
“His team played a lot of fun footballFraction Target They create.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s a good option for Rangers.”
Asked if he could turn things around at Ibrox, Moore replied: “What turned things around?
“Again, I don’t want to talk too much about what he can do because there are five or six other guys mentioned and I could give the same tirade.
“Rangers have a tough decision to make. Whether they need to make a decision before the international break, time will tell.
“Things will settle in the next few days and you’ll see some real candidates.
“People remember the way he played and he really crossed the line with some challenges and things like that.
“I know he has big regrets, but as a manager he’s definitely not the same person. He’s very measured.”
“He is a winner and he will still know when there are standards and they are not being followed meet and how to handle these situations.
“But when it comes to football, he’s emotionally smart.
“Whether it’s Kevin Muscat or another name, you need someone who can walk into the building with a presence.
“And the ability to handle the day-to-day stuff, which is a huge amount of pressure.
“Make your plan early — it’s in his locker, it’s in his DNA.
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“He reads the room very well. Supporters are desperate to find someone they can connect with.
“That’s the job at hand, developing players and improving players is part of it, but so is winning games.”
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