On paper, as one pundit puts it, this Rangers man has the makings of an Ibrox ‘hero’.
A prolific goalscorer in a team where prolific goalscorers have been in pretty short supply over the years. A centre-forward who’s return in the final third is actually far more impressive – at least domestically – than that of Alfredo Morelos.
So, why all the criticism? Why do supporters look not at the chances Cyriel Dessers takes and instead focus on the ones he misses?
Well, there are a few obvious reasons.
At £4.5 million, the former Feyenoord frontman is one of Rangers’ more expensive attackers over the last decade. And, with that, comes great expectation. There is also Dessers’ unhelpful habit of squandering big opportunities in big moments.
His miss in last winter’s damaging defeat to Celtic comes to mind. In fact, during his five Old Firm derby outings, Dessers has hit the net only once.
But in his current form, you would be a brave man to bet against the Belgium-born Nigeria international doubling that tally when Philippe Clement’s side travel to Parkhead on Sunday for the first cross-Glasgow clash of 2024/25.
Cyriel Dessers yet to win over everyone at Rangers
He may be one of the most enigmatic, most divisive Rangers players in modern times.
But with five goals in his last six and with Saturday’s rampaging performance against Ross County lighting up the Premiership, even Dessers’ most vocal critics are starting to go quiet.
“He is the maddest player. He can look unbelievable at times,” Andy Halliday, the ex-Rangers midfielder tells the Open Goal podcast on YouTube.
“Even his all round games. That is the criticism at times; his all-round game is just not there. He doesn’t make the ball stick, he’s too loose, he gives the ball away.
“But at the weekend, everything came off for him. He bullied Ross County’s centre-halves. He was spinning, playing balls through on goal. He created four big chances in 90 minutes. (That is) a lot, especially for a striker.
“He just had one of those games.”
Dessers might have a tendency to flick from the awesome to the awful – the prolific to the profligate – but Halliday feels that the numbers he produces deserve more respect.
That is now 27 goals in just over a year in the Scottish game.
Old Firm derby against Celtic looms for Philippe Clement’s team
“I say this all the time, who have been Rangers best players in the last few years? Connor Goldson, (James) Tavernier and then Dessers. And those are the ones that get the most criticism!,” a bemused Halliday adds.
“It’s not the guys who are not doing it. If Rangers have got issues, Dessers is one of the last ones for me.”
The feeling is, however, that Dessers still needs a marquee moment to really establish himself as a bonafide fans’ favourite.
A winner against arch rivals and reigning champions Celtic this weekend would do the trick.
“He needs a big goal. He needs a goal against Celtic to get all that criticism of his back,” Mark Wilson, a three-time Premiership champion with The Hoops in the 2000s, argues.
“You’re a striker in an underperforming Rangers team and you’re scoring goals. You should (have) hero status almost! But its the opposite. People would rather focus on the three chances he’s missed than the goal he’s scored.
“It’s a weird outlook.”
