Rangers fans know all too well that, when it comes to centre-forwards, you often have to take the rough with the smooth.
For all of Alfredo Morelos’ qualities, consistency wasn’t really one of them. The firebrand Colombian did not even break the 20-goal barrier in any of his five Scottish Premiership seasons.
As for Cyriel Dessers, while the likes of Lawrence Shankland continue to feast on goals, Rangers‘ current number nine has endured the odd famine.
Dessers did hit the target 22 times during a mixed debut season at Ibrox. But, given the quality of the chances he squandered, it is no stretch to suggest he really should have hit the 30-goal mark.
Though compared to another player who arrived at Rangers for relatively big money during the Mick Beale era, Dessers looks positively prolific.
Rangers sell Sam Lammers back to the Eredivisie
In 31 appearances, Sam Lammers’ tally stood at a measly two.
So those who’s footballing interests stop at Hadrian’s Wall may be taken aback to learn that one Dutch pundit is tipping Lammers to pick up the Golden Boot in the Eredivisie this term.
While the £3 million signing from Atalanta looked lost in Scotland, he’s clearly far happier amongst the home comforts of the Netherlands. A tally of 10 goals in 18 games after joining FC Utrecht on loan in January was comfortably Lammers’ best spell since that breakout season with Heerenveen back in 2018/19.
Now, the well-travelled centre-forward is an FC Twente player. Rangers accepted a £2.5 million bid in July. Thus, recouping much of their investment thanks almost solely to that reputation-saving spell in Utrecht red.
But if Lammers could average better than a goal every other game at Utrecht, how many could he rack up at a Twente side who finished four places and 19 points ahead of his old employers?
Especially when surrounded by the creativity of Sam Steijn, former Heerenveen sparring partner Michel Vlap, and the man who set up his debut goal last weekend with a fine run and cross in Sayfallah Ltaief?
“Lammers is now playing with a stronger team,” Abdul Alrifaee tells Football Oranje during the podcast’s pre-season preview. “So he could also be in that list (of potential top scorers).”
The rest of the Football Oranje team – Michael Statham and Mike Bell – feel that AZ Alkmaar’s former Tottenham prospect Troy Parrott could be in the running, alongside Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord, and last season’s Golden Boot winner Luuk de Jong.
Ibrox misfit tipped for Golden Boot at FC Twente
“All the ones you mentioned, plus Lammers, I think one of them will pick up the top scorer. I cannot see any other name, really,” Alrifaee adds, sticking with his original choice.
“I think Lammers has a better chance. He played very well with Utrecht and now plays with a stronger team that plays for the top three in the table.
“So I will go for Lammers.”
In truth, Lammers was not helped by the way Mick Beale utilised him during the first half of 2022/23.
Like Jose Cifuentes – another of that summer’s signings on his way out of Ibrox – Lammers played out of position more often than not. The one-time Eintracht Frankfurt man struggled to impose himself as a number ten but has thrived as a number nine since returning to the Eredivisie.
“I think FC Twente can be very happy with Lammers,” reporter Leon ten Voorde told Tubantia after the former Rangers man opened his account just eight minutes into his debut last Saturday.
“That’s very opportunistic based on one match, but we already know him from the Eredivisie. He’s just a very good player and FC Twente will normally have a lot of fun with him.
“I think this is very good, if you add everything up for FC Twente.
“Lammers fits in this group right away.”
