Neil McCann steps up his Ibrox job plan

Neil McCann’s cunning plan for an Ibrox return is at an advanced stage.

The former Dundee boss was an assistant to Barry Ferguson last season and has been desperately working on a route back into Ibrox.

Ferguson has made it clear that he won’t return on an interim basis, McCann will go back in any capacity and is now briefing his media friends on a solution to the post Russell Martin nightmare.

THE MCCANN PLAN

Last night Chris McLaughlin of BBC Scotland was dropping heavy hints about his Sportsound colleague, today Keith Jackson has picked up the baton.

The hostile reaction to Danny Rohl has clearly scared the Ibrox hierarchy away from moving for the former Sheffield Wednesday boss.

Over 20 years ago McCann was a team-mate of Muscat for the EBT All-Stars. Now it is all coming together for an emotional Ibrox reunion to chase away the hurt, dejection and humiliation of seeing Steven Gerrard walk away from negotiations.

At 12.18 this afternoon Jackson shared the plan with Daily Record readers:

He may only have worn the shirt on 22 occasions during the 2002/03 season but he still ended the season with his hands on a domestic treble. It might have been a couple of decades ago but there’s credit still in the bank regardless.

There is also Income Tax, National Insurance, penalties and interest to be paid on his bumper Ibrox income when he returns to the UK.

Also, he may just have a secret ace in the pack when it comes to the bad hand Rangers are currently dealing with.

Because, two years ago, had he been selected as the successful candidate, Muscat had identified and earmarked former team mate Neil McCann as the man he would bring in to assist him in the dugout.

How convenient is that?

Now wee Neil can leave his media duties behind, get the team into shape as he waits for his mate Muscat to arrive.

The former Millwall defender should watch his back with McCann by his side, with his media chums in place McCann will be pushing for the main job from day one.

The pair, it’s understood, remain close to this day.

Which means, even if Muscat could not be persuaded to up sticks immediately and leave the climax to the Chinese season behind him, then McCann would be able to step back into the club on an interim basis to hold the fort for him in the meantime.

And it goes on and on.

It’s still possible, although not set in stone, that Muscat could be needed in Shanghai until the final game of the season on November 22.

While such a delay would be far from ideal, McCann might feel ideally placed to make a quick return to the set-up having only just left the place along with Barry Ferguson and the rest of the interim staff rushed in for the final three months of last season.

McCann – previously a manager in his own right – also has the advantage of knowing the strengths, weaknesses and personalities of the players he worked with during that period.

Muscat would be acceptable to most Ibrox fans, mainly for not being Rohl, the German boss believed to be Russell Martin 2.0.

Ten days after Martin was chased out of Falkirk it is clear that no advance plans were made for the former Southampton boss being a complete flop.

With three training days before the match with Dundee United the pressure is on the Ibrox board to at least have an interim in the dig-out for Saturday.

McCann is believed to have informed BBC Scotland and Sky Sports that he may not be available this weekend. Again.