Gordon Dalziel knows the challenges of playing for Rangers having come through at Ibrox as a player.
Dalziel spent four years at Rangers in the early stages of his career but if better known for a short stint at Manchester City and eight years with Raith Rovers.
Now making his living as a pundit in Scottish football, Gordon Dalziel has been speaking about one much-maligned Rangers star this week.
And all the criticism of the player in question has got Dalziel scratching his head with the former Rangers hitman officially joining the striker’s union.
Gordon Dalziel on what ‘does his head in’ about Cyriel Dessers
Cyriel Dessers might’ve been the hero against Dundee but going by the reaction after the match, you might not have known it.
The Rangers hitman popped up with a last minute winner at Dens Park but Rangers fans criticised Dessers on the whistle for a whole host of spurned opportunities.
Dessers had anywhere up to 11 decent chances and 12 shots in the match, something that Gordon Dalziel acknowledges himself.
But Dalziel has launched a staunch defence of Cyriel Dessers and insists that outlandish criticism of the hitman is ‘doing his head in’.
”Here’s my pet peeve,” Dalziel told Open Goal. “This is doing my head in and people are going to slaughter me for this.
”How is Cyriel Dessers getting dog’s abuse? I take on board he misses chances.
”I’d rather a centre-forward walk off the park and say ‘I could’ve had a hat-trick today, because I’m in the positions, they’re creating chances, I’ve made an a—- of it’.
”But what happens? He pops up with the winner. That’s a sign of a good striker for me.”
Cyriel Dessers ‘suffers Ally McCoist treatment’ at Rangers
Whilst there have been grumbles aplenty outside Ibrox about Cyriel Dessers, inside Rangers there has been nothing but glowing commendations of the striker.
Barry Ferguson defended Dessers at full-time at Dens Park, suggesting that criticism failed to recognise the role of Trevor Carson in repeatedly thwarting Cyriel.
Neil McCann was next to hail Dessers, admitting that he got it wrong about the striker prior to joining the Ibrox coaching staff.
Derek Ferguson has also given his two cents on Cyriel Dessers and admits the situation with the striker has shades of one Ally McCoist.
”That’s what used to happen, if they think back, with Ally McCoist,” Ferguson explains.
”Sometimes Coisty would have games like that. (Dalziel) might’ve had games like that, that’s why you maybe see it differently from the ordinary punter.
”But I can remember playing in games where Coisty would have three or four great chances and then he puts the hardest of the lot into the top bin, scores an absolute screamer.”
