Philippe Clement hasn’t helped himself at times being in charge of Rangers, but he hasn’t been helped by those around him either.
His first season as manager saw a near permanent injury list affect his squad and put the brakes on title challenge.
This season, he has had to cope without key players in Rangers forward line and put most of his faith in Cyriel Dessers to lead the line.
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Cyriel Dessers given Rangers striker role backing
Hamza Igamane is the flavour of the month after his barnstorming display against Nice, he didn’t get the results against St Johnstone, however, there were still positive signs.
It has been a similar story with Danilo in recent appearances who has shown a sharpness in the attack that Dessers simply hasn’t been able to display despite three goals in his last five games.
There is a reason why Dessers has dropped to third choice.
Not according to the Sky Sports pundits though and, speaking at half-time against St Johnstone, Chris Sutton and Kris Boyd debated why Rangers had been struggling in front of goal:
“That’s the issue when you chop and change centre-forwards, I know he’s driving to find the best one but that’s the issue and that’s why it’s not happening in the final third,” said Sutton.
Sutton was then asked by Kris Boyd who he’d start as the Gers’ number nine to which he replied: “I would play [Cyriel] Dessers, I’d get Dessers on.
“Dessers is their best actual centre forward in terms of link-up”
Has Clement been rotating his strikers too much?
Most Rangers fans would probably say that the biggest problem has been the exact opposite.
Igamane has started two games, Danilo one.
They have also only played a combined 560 minutes, hardly evidence of a lack of consistency in the striker department – for context, Dessers has played over 1500 minutes.
Clement had to play Igamane and Danilo to get them up to speed, not only are they younger and quicker, than Dessers, but they are a better fit for what the Gers boss seems to be trying to achieve.
The biggest reason that Dessers has dropped to the bench in the last two games is because he has been a man down, there has been no link up play.
Clement deserves a lot of criticism, but not for trying to find an upgrade on a player who has been part of the problem this season.
