"I believe" - Miron Muslic backed over Steven Schumacher as Plymouth Argyle make big decision | OneFootball

The Pilgrims have turned to the Austrian to help in their fight against relegation from the second tier

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Plymouth Argyle made the decision to appoint Austrian coach Miron Muslic as the successor to Wayne Rooney last week, with the 42-year-old signing a three-and-a-half-year deal at Home Park.

The former Cercle Brugge boss moves to Devon with the task of trying to keep the Greens in the Championship this season, with his new employers currently sitting bottom of the second tier after a tough start to the season under the former England international.

There were a number of names said to be linked with the vacancy in the south west, with Walsall’s Mat Sadler and former Norwich City boss David Wagner two of the names linked, as well as Steven Schumacher, who left his post with the Pilgrims 13 months ago to join divisional rivals Stoke City, before being axed last September.

The appointment of Muslic has been met with mixed feelings within the Green Army, and we put it to Football League World’s Argyle fan pundit Chris to give us his verdict on the new man in the dugout at Home Park, and whether a return for Schumacher would have been preferred.

Plymouth Argyle appoint Miron Muslic as new boss after Wayne Rooney departure

While he wasn’t in the dugout for the occasion, Muslic would have been delighted by what he saw at the weekend, as Argyle travelled to Premier League side Brentford in the FA Cup and pulled off one of the upsets of the third round, with Morgan Whittaker’s late strike being enough to see off the Bees and progress.

While it was a momentous occasion which saw Argyle knock out top tier opposition in the famous competition for the first time since 1984, it was also a landmark occasion in more recent history, with the Pilgrims earning a first win on the road all season, having failed to do so in the Championship so far.

That result sees the new boss walk into a bouncing bunch in Devon this week, with crucial clashes with Oxford United and Queens Park Rangers on the horizon, meaning he will have to hit the ground running in terms of picking up crucial league results, and give his new side hope of avoiding the drop this season.

While he may not be a name familiar to fans of the English game, Muslic is a character who turned around the fortunes of perennial strugglers Cercle during his time in Belgium, and had them competing in Europe this season for one of the only times in their history following his success.

While a return to Home Park for Schumacher was mooted, Argyle have made the decision not to go back on themselves, but start afresh, and while a number of Janners were left miffed by the decision, Chris believes Muslic’s credentials speak for themselves in terms of what he can bring to Home Park.

When asked whether Schumacher would have been preferred, the Argyle fan said: “Argyle have recently announce their replacement for the departed Wayne Rooney as head coach, in the form of Miron Muslic, who is coming from Cercle Brugge in the Belgian Pro League.

“This club had a lot of similarities in relation to Argyle’s current position i.e very low budget, sitting at the foot of the table, as well as having a very good prospect of leaving the division.

“However, during the time he was in Belgium, he found he was not only able to bring the club out of the relegation situation, but also in the Europa Conference League, and did so on a shoestring budget, which shows a lot of similarities to what we have in the current Argyle situation.

“This, I believe, is one of the key elements to what Simon Hallett is looking for; not only a head coach with experience, but also one that has similar dealings to situations like the one we are currently in.

“Although a lot of fans would have wanted to see Schumacher return - myself included - I believe that Miron Muslic has a positive track record, a positive win ratio as well the skills required to get us out of the relegation zone.”

Plymouth Argyle think outside the box for Miron Muslic appointment

Argyle’s decision to appoint Muslic has to be commended, with the Greens looking further afield to try and sort out their issues from the first-half of the season, rather than stick with easy solutions within the English game.

You only have to look at the likes of Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday for examples of sides heading further afield to bring in their new manager in recent times, with Marti Cifuentes and Danny Rohl having success at their respective employers over the past 15 months or so.

It is natural for fans to be drawn towards what they are used to; whether it be Steven Schumacher in this case, or baseless calls for Neil Warnock or another ‘experienced Championship manager’, but the decision to choose Muslic speaks of a side who are prepared to stick their neck on the line and try something different to try and escape the drop zone.

It can be all so easy to turn to a Rob Edwards, a Neil Harris, even a Nigel Pearson in this situation, but in that you are restricting your options by staying within the parameters of the English game, when there are so many out there harnessing their craft across the continent and beyond.

Even the ‘proven Championship managers’ have had to start somewhere, so who is to say that Muslic doesn’t have what it takes to manage in the English game? It’s time for the club and its fanbase to broaden its horizons, embrace the new era, and enjoy whatever comes for the rest of the campaign, as the Greens look to turn a corner in 2025.