If new Rangers striker pair Cyriel Dessers and Danilo weren’t feeling the weight of Ibrox pressure on their flights to Glasgow, they certainly will be now.
It was all smiles and handshakes upon the signing of both players, with the club reportedly shelling out somewhere in the ballpark of £10.5m to sign them this summer.
Whilst Michael Beale has refuted the scale of these reports, Cyriel Dessers is set to cost somewhere in the region of £4.5m whilst Danilo is said to be closer to £6m.
At Ibrox, such substantial investment must herald near-imminent results and whilst there is always a sense of urgency in Govan, this pair are almost certainly feeling the intensified weight of recent failures.
Rangers’ forward line has offered criminal results in the face of Celtic’s recent dominance and this season things have got to change.
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Whilst some might now be lamenting the exits of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos in particular, it is their shortcomings in particular which allowed Celtic to tie the bow on a fifth treble in seven seasons.
Kent’s three goals last season points to a lack of motivation and interest, not talent. The less said about Alfredo Morelos’ return from injury at the start of the last campaign the better.
Cyriel Dessers and Danilo must quickly find Rangers goals
Rangers have never exactly been known for their patience with new starts but the increased pressure mounting on both Cyriel Dessers and Danilo is multiplied by historic shortcomings rather than current.
At the same time, over the last few seasons in particular Rangers have signed players who’ve needed too long to find their feet in Scotland.
It’s been an easy excuse and soundbites about settling in were wearing thing after a £5m deal was signed for Turkish international Ridvan Yilmaz last season. That sort of money needs instant returns.
Against Livingston, Cyriel Dessers’ perceived lack of sharpness was no excuse to a disgruntled support whilst against Servette, Danilo’s gilt-edged miss narrowly avoided a bigger kickback from the stands.
If the club’s new strikers didn’t know what they were in for when they signed on the dotted line, after a week of rumbling groans they almost certainly will now.
There is no patience left in the stands at Ibrox and these two guys join with big transfer fees in a key moment in Rangers’ legacy battle with Celtic.
The Parkhead side are on 53 titles, two behind their Old Firm rivals, whilst Celtic’s official trophy haul is only a couple behind Rangers’ own as things stand.
This is a crucial season in Rangers’ legacy and if Cyriel Dessers and Danilo thought they’d get any leeway before joining the club, this week has well and truly burst that bubble.
Results are all that matters for Rangers right now and if the pair want to do themselves any favours in front of an unforgiving Ibrox, then they best start finding the back of the net.