Rangers boss Philippe Clement has urged fans not to write off Cyriel Dessers – and struck a comparison to a former La Liga and Serie A hitman.
Rangers needed to invest in new strikers over the summer but Michael Beale’s recruitment hasn’t gone to plan.
Beale splashed the cash on Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Danilo, putting his faith in three attackers with strong history in the Netherlands.
Right now, many Rangers fans are questioning the wisdom behind those moves.
Danilo has shown promise but is now injured whilst both Lammers and Dessers have flattered to deceive at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement refuses to write off Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers
Dessers arrived after seven goals in 29 games for Salernitana in Italy’s top flight last season.
Rangers fans were expecting a consistent source of goals but eight goals in 25 appearances has been a little underwhelming.
Some have written the 29-year-old off already, but he arguably had his best moment in a Rangers shirt on Thursday.
Dessers brilliantly took two Real Betis defenders out of the game with a superb turn before slotting home in Rangers’ 3-2 win.
We can only hope to see Dessers really kick on from that moment and Philippe Clement has defended the striker.
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium, Clement has refused to criticise Rangers’ summer transfer business and simply vowed to get the best out of the players at his disposal.
Clement was specifically asked about Dessers and suggested that nobody should be written off after three months, even comparing the Nigerian to Carlos Bacca.
Clement saw Bacca struggle at Club Brugge but he settled down and became the club’s main goal threat, seemingly believing that Dessers could do the same.
“I don’t look at transfer windows from the past. My job is to get the best out of the players that are there,” said Clement. “Dessers is coming, he scored last weekend and also on Thursday against Betis. It is my job to make choices, together with the board, of what we should do in January to strengthen the core.”
“I also don’t think that after three months you can say with certainty that a player is good enough or not. I still remember Carlos Bacca. Christoph Daum then shot into anger against the scouts. That Bacca was a drama of a footballer. And that his grandmother could even score more goals. Six months later he was Club Brugge’s best player. So let’s work very hard with those players. And then it is up to them to show that they are worth it,” he added.
Some will remember Bacca from a successful career having hit 31 goals in 54 games for Club Brugge.
The goals kept flowing for years; 49 in 108 games for Sevilla, 34 in 77 games for AC Milan, 43 in 135 games for Villarreal.
The Colombian proved his doubters wrong to become a regular goalscorer with top European clubs and Rangers fans would love to see Dessers do the same.
