Cyriel Dessers must be beginning to think that he should have stayed in Italy with Cremonese and the relatively low profile Serie B rather than joining Rangers.
Instead, he is public enemy number one, responsible for missing the sort of chances that his predecessors in the jersey wouldn’t.
Form is temporary and class is permanent but why has Cyriel Dessers struggled so badly to score the goals that he used to before joining Rangers for around £4.5m?
Cyriel Dessers Rangers struggles analysed
A look on DataMB shows us what his numbers have looked like over the last three seasons.
At Feyenoord, he was outstanding.
Top goalscorer in the Eredivisie and the Europa Conference League.
That version of Cyriel Dessers would be a Rangers fans’ favourite.
At Genk and Cremonese he still had a respectable campaign but it was a drop from the previous one, however, he should be approaching his peak.
His numbers for this season have shown an even bigger drop off which begs the question?
Is this our £4.5m striker?
One that can’t win headers and can’t score goals.
Two essential qualities for life in Scottish football as a central striker, especially for Rangers.
As an optimist, I have to believe that the system played under Michael Beale did him no favours and that he will come good.
The evidence doesn’t really support this statement though.
On too many occasions, he has done well to create space for himself to shoot, only to then turn again or give the ball away.
The chance he missed against Aberdeen is one that he would routinely score in previous seasons.
If Steven Davis is to hit the ground running as interim manager, he needs Cyriel Dessers firing on all cylinders for Rangers.
He doesn’t have anyone else to call upon unless he plays someone out of position.
What version of Cyriel Dessers he gets is anyone’s guess but the one that was at Feyenoord could help to save Rangers season.
