Cyriel Dessers has his faults, even his biggest Rangers backers would have to accept that.
But casual observers to Scottish football, after being made aware of the at-times brutal criticism aimed towards Rangers’ number nine, may be shocked to learn that the numbers next to his name really do not marry up against the narrative.
Cyriel Dessers, some have argued unfairly, belongs among the poorest forwards in Rangers’ recent history. Worthy of a place alongside Filip Sebo and Dalcio in a sprawling pantheon of Ibrox flops.
If a tally of 40 goals in 91 games does not disprove such an assessment, then what does?
The common consensus, meanwhile, is that Alfredo Morelos is Rangers’ finest centre-forward since they returned to the Premiership in 2016, albeit there is not too much competition for that particular throne.
But surely Dessers – his tally of 16 league strikes last season more than Morelos managed in five of his six campaigns in Glasgow, after all – ranks far closer to Morelos than he does, say, Eduardo Herrera. How many other Rangers number nines would have finished off the sort of half-chance Dessers buried at Old Trafford a few weeks ago? Ally McCoist described Dessers’ strike as ‘sensational’, and he knows a thing or two about sticking the ball in the net.
How many would have led the line like Dessers did against Union Saint-Gilloise? Arguably Dessers’ most complete performance yet in a Gers shirt, the Belgian-born Nigerian assisted Vaclav Cerny’s winner while securing a place in the competition’s last-16.
And while the decision to swap Antonio Colak with Cyriel Dessers in the summer of 2023 remains a source of frustration amongst some sections of the Ibrox brigade, the respective tallies of both players over the last 18 months suggests that this was a rare decision Mick Beale got right.
Cyriel Dessers outscores former Rangers striker Antonio Colak
While Dessers averages a goal every 2.1 games in a Rangers shirt, Colak finds the net every 9.5 matches over in Italy. That equates to just four in 38 matches since leaving Ibrox.
He was signed by Parma, to the tune of around £1.7 million meanwhile, with the expectation that he would end their exile from Italy’s second-tier.
And while Parma did earn promotion that season, it’s fair to say Colak played, at best, a backseat role. It’s telling that, once a return to Serie A was secured, the former UEFA Cup winners wasted no time in farming the well-travelled Croatian out to Spezia, another second-tier outfit.
“I wouldn’t talk about redemption for him, because he hasn’t had many opportunities,” admits Spezia coach Luca D’Angelo. “But he has always trained hard, he produces important shots, and can make his contribution.”
Colak continues to struggle in Italy
Actions speak louder than words, however. And with 11 of Colak’s 16 Spezia appearances coming from the bench, D’Angelo’s faith in the Croatian making a ‘contribution’ to another promotion charge certainly looks to have been shaken considerably.
Colak was prolific during his one and only season with Rangers, yes. 18 goals in a single Premiership campaign.
But given what Philippe Clement wants from his centre-forwards – physicality in the frontline, aggressive pressing and the ability to open up space for others – an old-school penalty-box poacher would likely have felt a rather awkward fit.
If Colak is not scoring, then he doesn’t tend to offer a whole lot else. No wonder opportunities have been limited at Spezia as the goals dry up and his post-Rangers career dwindles.
As for Dessers, six goals in his last six games, the future looks considerably brighter.
