Rangers coach Neil McCann has told a pre-match press conference that he misjudged one Rangers star prior to getting inside Auchenhowie.
The former Rangers winger was a prominent Scottish football pundit prior to being recalled to Ibrox as part of Barry Ferguson’s Rangers coaching staff.
Whilst the house was on fire under Philippe Clement, it was easy for Neil McCann and everyone else on the outside looking in to point fingers.
But the Rangers coach has reflected on his early time at Ibrox, and suggests he had an opinion on Cyriel Dessers which maybe isn’t a true reflection of who the Gers number nine actually is.
McCann also admits that whilst he’s got sympathy for one of the Ibrox hitman’s under-fire teammates, it’s Allan McGregor who is dealing with that particular problem.
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Neil McCann hails ‘impressive’ Cyriel Dessers
Cyriel Dessers might’ve spurned a host of opportunities for Rangers against Dundee but the big striker popped up precisely when the Ibrox club needed him most.
Dessers lashed in a late winner against Dundee to cap another monumental comeback under Barry Ferguson but the Rangers team once again gave themselves a mountain to climb.
Cyriel might’ve also been hoping for some respite when he tapped the ball neatly over the outrushing Trevor Carson but it was not forthcoming.
Dessers knows that Rangers are a tough crowd to please, but Neil McCann has hinted that not all is as it appears when it comes to the hitman at Auchenhowie.
”I’ve been so impressed by him,” McCann said. “I have to say, I had an outside opinion of him.
“I just thought he was a brilliant guy. I’ll definitely be quoted along the lines of always saying he looks like a brilliant teammate.
“If you can be a brilliant teammate, it’s so important to your group because you can rely on the work rate. It’s never going to dip. Yes, he might have an off day, but I was particularly pleased for him.
“Not only for getting to 4-3, but for him personally to get that goal. You saw his celebrations and how much it meant to him. He’s a really important member of the group.”
Neil McCann ‘leaves Greegsy’ to under fire Rangers star
Neil McCann has no fears about Jack Butland getting over his latest mistake in a Rangers jersey in the 4-3 thriller with Dundee.
Butland dropped the ball into Joe Shaughnessy’s path, with this the 31-year-old’s latest fumble in a long line of them this season.
Whilst Butland was the hero v Fenerbahce, there are big questions being asked about the Rangers goalkeeper but McCann isn’t worried about the stopper answering them.
Why? Because Butland has Allan McGregor working alongside him.
“That’s the life of a goalkeeper; same as big Cyriel being under pressure for missing chances,” McCann explains.
“You make a mistake as a goalkeeper and invariably it ends up in the back of your net. That’s a confidence thing.
“I leave Greegsy to get on with that. But big Jack never seems to be a player that you have to work too hard to pick up. He’s very, very professional.”
