Kevin Muscat rave Rangers review comes with a warning from inside Japan amid illuminating Angeball fear

Leading J-League pundit Tomohiro Katanosaka has waxed lyrical about Kevin Muscat before hinting he believes clubs have sussed out how to burst Angeball in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The former Ibrox defender is on the Rangers shortlist to replace Michael Beale after winning the J-League last season with Yokohama F. Marinos, where he succeeded ex-Hoops boss Postecoglou. With the Japanese season approaching an exciting climax with Yokohama four points behind leaders Vissel Kobe with five games left, Katanosaka – who managed in the J-League last year – was asked to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each title-challenging manager. And he reckons Muscat has seamlessly carried on the work of Spurs boss Postecoglou, who left Yokohama to go to Glasgow in July 2021.

Katanosaka said: "Yokohama F. Marinos' style has been established since Ange Postecoglou was there and Kevin Muscat has continued that. That means they play with a 4-3-3 which plays to the strength of the wide players in the team. They use that width to play with great speed and counter-attacking and they are fast at getting into their opposition's half. Kevin Muscat has continued that high-intensity football with a fluid attacking system and a solid and tough defensive unit. The way they play does not change no matter who they play. That is the strength of Muscat and Marinos.

"It doesn't matter to him if their opponents play with three or four at the back. That's the way they play regardless. If their attacking wide man goes outside, the full back goes inside. If the full back goes outside, the attacking wide man goes inside. That's what they do. They are almost telepathic. It's like his players can now pass the ball without looking. Their speed of passing is