There are plenty that feel Rangers boss Philippe Clement was sending Cyriel Dessers a message against Aberdeen.
With the club 1-0 down and chasing a goal, the Ibrox side’s new manager didn’t call on his compatriot Dessers to rescue the day.
Instead keeping the faith in Brazilian striker Danilo, it was Sam Lammers, Rabbi Matondo and Ross McCausland who Clement called on as the club chased an equaliser.
Whilst Rangers would wind up nabbing a draw through a late James Tavernier penalty, Cyriel Dessers’ absence on the Aberdeen pitch come full time told its own story.
A man under pressure
It’s so hard to pick positives from the 28-year-old striker’s start at Ibrox, Cyriel Dessers struggling from almost the first kick of the ball at Rangers.
Cutting a forlorn figure at the top end of the park, questions over his attitude and application have not helped the striker’s cause with an expectant Gers support.
Costing the club a reported £4.5m in the summer, Cyriel Dessers is the butt of a bad Michael Beale transfer joke after the now sacked manager was given free reign over the squad in the summer.
Whilst Beale might end up having the last laugh with some of his signings, of them all Cyriel Dessers looks the least likely to recapture the imaginations of supporters at Ibrox.
Cyriel Dessers Aberdeen snub
There’s no-one in the southside of Glasgow who isn’t willing the striker on but for Philippe Clement to snub Cyriel Dessers when Rangers were desperately chasing a goal is a stark reminder of where the hitman is at.
There is quite simply no justification for a forward who cost so much to be deemed an ineffective option when the club need to score.
That the Belgian didn’t even trust Cyriel Dessers enough to have him try to come on and impact the match is an ominous indictment of the player’s situation.
With January looming large, and Philippe Clement clear that passengers will not have a space in his squad, only six months in the striker’s Ibrox career already hangs in the balance.
