Much has been made of Cyriel Dessers’ struggles in the deep blue shirt of Rangers.
But while a tally of four goals in all competitions could hardly be seen as anything other than massively underwhelming – especially when you consider the sheer size of Dessers’ £5 million price-tag – at least the former Feyenoord striker can say he has broken his duck.
Unlike another striker Rangers tried to sign during the summer window, a £2.8 million bid batted away for Benie Traore before he moved south of the border with Sheffield United a few weeks later, and for £1.2 million more (Scottish Sun’s Alan Nixon).
Rangers missed out on Benie Traore
Of course, the situations facing Dessers and Traore are hardly identical. The former is leading the line for a club fighting for a place at the top of the table, while the latter finds himself at a side who, even before the Bonfire Night fireworks hit the supermarket shelves, may already be readying themselves for a return to England’s second tier.
Relegation, however, might not be the worst thing to happen for Benie Traore.
The 20-year-old Ivorian, prolific last season at Swedish outfit BK Hacken, is yet to open his account in seven appearances for Sheffield United. He hasn’t even been included in Paul Heckingbottom’s starting XI since losing his place at the end of August.
But the likes of Arnaut Danjuma, Ismaila Sarr and co benefitted from spells in the Championship after struggling in the Premier League. And who is to say Traore – a man of obvious potential – cannot do the same?
No goals for Sheffield United
“His goal record’s fantastic,” Heckingbottom told The Blades website over the summer, Traore netting 15 times in 20 Allsvenskan games to catch Rangers’ eye.
“He’s shown a real appetite to press and set the press high, and he’s been really effective with that, which we like,” Heckingbottom adds. “And some of his goals have been really good in terms of his instinct and movement and willingness to attack the ball in the box.
“He has pace. He likes to play on the shoulder, (on) the last man, but he’s also comfortable playing wide.”
Those attributes, however, are yet to be truly glimpsed by a Sheffield United fanbase growing increasingly resigned – even at this early stage – to an immediate return to England’s second-tier.
Traore may still come good in the Steel City. He is just 20 after all and patience is required. But even in his darkest moments, Cyriel Dessers may be counting his blessings that a poor start to life at Rangers is not going quite as bad as his fellow striker’s debut season south of the border.
