Glasgow Rangers return to Premiership action this weekend following yet another international break. Perhaps this came at the right time for the Ibrox side amid the recent pressure on Philippe Clement.
Dundee United are the visitors to Glasgow this afternoon and the Arabs are enjoying their spell back in the top flight, occupying fourth spot, just two points behind the Gers. They have even managed to score two more goals than the Light Blues, which proves just how lacklustre the club have been in front of goal.
Much of this has to do with Cyriel Dessers. The Nigerian frontman isn’t exactly the most mobile of strikers, or the most clinical either…
Cyriel Dessers’ stats this season
Some sections of the Ibrox support have defended Dessers over his record at Rangers, which, on the surface, looks more than respectable.
Indeed, since joining last summer, the striker has scored 32 goals and grabbed 12 assists in 72 matches for the club. This works out as a goal every 2.2 games, a decent enough strike rate.
However, if he was more lethal in the penalty area, his tally would be much greater. In the top flight last term, he missed a staggering 27 big chances. This season? He has already missed six across 11 games.
The frontman manages just one shot on target per game, while netting just four goals in the Premiership all season, hardly the sort of form which will fire the club to league title glory.
Metric
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
16
4
Assists
4
1
Big chances missed
27
6
Shots on target per game
1.4
1
Goal conversion percentage
16%
17%
With this in mind, Clement must drop the misfiring marksman to the bench for the clash against Dundee United, dishing out a start elsewhere instead…
The player who must replace Dessers vs Dundee United
It is no secret that injury issues have disrupted Danilo’s spell in Glasgow. Since he signed last summer, the Brazilian has missed 46 games already due to a series of issues.
The former Ajax striker, therefore, scored just six goals last term, while he has managed just one senior goal during the current campaign. Once he gets back to full fitness, might Clement use him as his main option to lead the line?
The 25-year-old provided a moment of quality against Motherwell in the recent League Cup semi-final, making a diagonal run which drew three opposition defenders out of position, allowing Nedim Bajrami acres of space to score the winner.
It may sound simple, but these are things Dessers simply doesn’t do during matches, which suggests Danilo should be the main centre-forward for the Gers.
The £26k-per-week hitman was hailed by Michael Beale upon his arrival in 2023, saying: “He is an exciting player who likes to create and score goals, he is one that I believe is a good fit for our squad and he will give us another big option in the attacking areas of the pitch.”
He could cement himself into the starting XI with a positive performance against the Arabs this afternoon and a goal or two wouldn’t go amiss either.
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