The Ibrox fans Kevin Muscat fantasy is not the “magical bullet” to catch Celtic.

This week, the number one topic in Scottish football has been the future of the manager at Ibrox. Although not everyone’s top priority, it’s certainly the subject most fans are discussing.

The reason for that is obvious: that club is in disarray, and whatever decision they make, it’s only going to compound the mess.

Yesterday, I wrote about their bizarre idea for bringing back Steven Gerrard and those who are pushing for it as some sort of game-changing move. I laid out all the reasons why it’s not a feasible option. It would be too expensive, he’d demand significant transfer funds, and his previous record isn’t exactly sparkling. Many Celtic fans would probably welcome his return as much as the cheerleaders across the city.

However, Gerrard isn’t the only name being floated for the job.

Another name gaining traction is former Australian and ex-Ibrox midfielder, Kevin Muscat. If Gerrard represents the hype that won’t die, then Muscat is the hysteria that won’t go away. True to form, the Ibrox club can’t see beyond what has already worked at Celtic. They see a guy who’s won titles in Australia like Ange did, won a Japanese title like Ange did, and is now in China attempting to secure his third championship in a third different country. But there are crucial mitigating factors, ones the media seem unwilling to address. Ibrox fans, desperate for a hero, don’t want to acknowledge these factors either.

Let me share my theory on Kevin Muscat, and you can decide for yourself whether or not you agree, but I’m pretty confident in my assessment. If Muscat were to become the next Ibrox manager, I strongly suspect it would end in disaster.

Some managers are simply born lucky.

By that, I don’t mean they’re fortunate in terms of results, but in who they know, who their allies are, and who’s backing them. Muscat’s appeal to Ibrox fans is simple: he looks like Ange Postecoglou MK2. They think if he comes to Scotland, he can replicate that success. But here’s the thing: Muscat didn’t carve his own path—he followed Ange’s.

He’s cloned himself from our former boss.

When Muscat was caretaker manager at Melbourne Victory, it was a disaster. When he left, the man who rebuilt the team was Ange. It was Ange’s recommendation that brought Muscat back to Melbourne Victory, but only after Ange had already laid the foundation for success. In short, Muscat inherited an Ange Postecoglou-built team.

Fast forward to Japan, and again, Muscat took over a team Ange had already transformed. This wasn’t a manager arriving to implement his own vision—he simply followed the blueprint that had already been established.

His success, once again, was in the shadow of Ange’s achievements. At Melbourne Victory, his overall win percentage was just 49% over six years. His stint in Belgium was even worse, lasting just six months, with only two wins from 15 games. Then, of course, he went to Japan, once more stepping into a side Ange had already made credible.

Now, Muscat is coaching in China, which tells you something—there isn’t a single club in Europe that thought he was worth a chance. People might say the same thing about Ange before he joined Celtic, but that’s simply not true. Ange had been considered for jobs in Europe and was even linked to AEK Athens before Celtic came calling.

The part that truly makes me laugh is that Ibrox fans think Muscat’s biggest draw would be the chance to follow Ange into the Premier League.

You almost want to pat them on the heads and tell them to take a breather.

For starters, that would rely on Muscat being successful, which is far from guaranteed. Secondly, Ange was already much better known in footballing circles than Muscat is. He had a reputation and a proven record before he arrived at Celtic. Coaches like Guardiola spoke highly of his talents, even if that wasn’t reflected in job offers from the biggest clubs.

The Ibrox fans overlook something critical. Ange spent significant money at Celtic to build his team. His success didn’t come cheap. Yes, a lot of that cash came from the sales of players like Edouard and Ajer, but Celtic had those assets to sell. Ibrox doesn’t have a single player who could command a similar transfer fee. Without those funds, Ange would have had far less to spend, and his revolution would have taken much longer to bear fruit.

The Muscat theory might sound enticing to them because it offers the illusion of a shortcut to catching us. But it’s entirely false.

Suggesting that Muscat could inherit the current Ibrox squad, with very little money for strengthening, and quickly turn them into title contenders is pure fantasy. He wouldn’t be inheriting a pre-built team and style like he did with Ange’s squads. He’d have to implement his own vision and philosophy, and the current Ibrox squad simply isn’t built for that. Without the funds for a major rebuild, he’d be on a hiding to nothing.

There’s nothing in Muscat’s managerial career that suggests he’s capable of tackling a job this big. And with no money to help him along, this experiment would be doomed from the start. Sure, it might seem worth a try, but only if the resources are there to back him.

And those resources aren’t available. They need time, money, and patience—none of which have been in abundance at Ibrox lately.

I get it. I understand why they want a magic bullet, a quick fix. But there isn’t one. Their future is long and difficult, and they’ll need to be smarter, more patient, and more ruthless than ever before. If they go chasing instant results and throw in another supposed miracle worker, all they’ll do is prolong the agony and slide further into the abyss.