As expected, Yokohama Mariners head coach Kevin Muscat was named head coach of newly crowned Chinese Super League champions Shanghai Harbour after this season's AFC Champions League group stage. Immediately after Javier's sacking, attention shifted to Muscat's style and strength in leading the team. After all, coaching a championship team is very difficult, and any regression would be hard to tolerate. Trying to move on and excel can be difficult.
Muscat took over the Shanghai team mainly because the salary offered by the Shanghai team was much higher than the contracts offered by other clubs. According to previous media reports, a number of clubs, including Australian clubs and Japanese clubs (notably Yokohama), expressed interest in Kevin, but Shanghai's sincerity impressed him, leading to this partnership. Muscat is certainly very interested in coaching the Chinese Super League champions, and his game philosophy and planning seems to match what this club is looking for.
With the addition of La Liga level players like Oscar, Wu Lei and Vargas, Shanghai's offensive line has become stronger. This is even more evident with the protection of the national team's backline echelon. That's why Muscat is happy to be here. His team has been in need of reliable goal scorers to boost its efficiency, and Shanghai can provide assurance in that regard. In addition, Muscat has high ability and characteristics in developing all kinds of foreigners, and I'm sure Shanghai team will talk about bringing in foreigners for the new season before discussing cooperation with him. I believe both sides have already reached an agreement.
For Muscat joining the Chinese Super League, there are some similarities and some not-so-similarities compared to the K-League. The similarities lie in the fact that the Chinese Super League is very similar in terms of interpersonal relationships and the Chinese martial arts characteristics of the teams, something that Muscat should have largely adapted to. He should also be familiar with the policy of developing youth players. The difference is that South Korea's youth development at all levels is likely to be relatively more specialized, so Muscat was very quick to visit Shanghai's youth teams after arriving in the city.
According to local media reports, Muscat expressed his appreciation for Shanghai's youth training efforts. He believes that the youth training level of the Shanghai team is better than what he knew before. After watching the U21's match against the first reserve team, Muscat said the team's performance was excellent. He was also able to basically memorize the names of every player who played well, which shows his professionalism.
For the Harbor side, they have high expectations for Muscat. After all, as a coach who studied under Postgreu, he has a proven style of play and character. Much of what he has is able to connect with the world, which is very beneficial to the reform and development of the Super League championship. What's more, he has accumulated years of experience in the K-League and Asian competitions and knows the realities of the game very well. After winning the Super League title, they are definitely aiming for the AFC Champions League. The addition of Muscat will certainly go a long way in realizing that vision, which is, of course, his main job.
Muscat will reportedly enjoy a short vacation after the announcement, spending time with his family over the Christmas period before quickly returning to the club to continue training and coaching. The next step will be to show his magic, and it is not known whether he will be able to lead the Shanghai team to a new stage or whether they will face some teething problems, only one try will tell. It won't be long before Muscat leads the team in matches, and the warm-up matches in Haikou will provide an opportunity to do so.
