Brand new season, same old Glasgow Rangers. It appears that Philippe Clement hasn’t learned much from the final few weeks of the 2023/24 campaign, as the Ibrox side dropped points in their Premiership opener.
Hearts were the better team during large spells of the league clash at Tynecastle as the Gers couldn’t quite find their rhythm, dropping two vital points.
The Jambos had 17 shots to just nine from the Light Blues, and they can perhaps count themselves unlucky at not finding a winner.
The 0-0 draw will hopefully be a wake-up call for Clement and the rest of the team as they face Dynamo Kviv on Tuesday evening. With changes to be made, will Cyriel Dessers start against the Ukrainians after yet another poor display?
Cyriel Dessers’ game in numbers vs Hearts
Despite Clement looking to bring in another number nine this summer, Dessers was chosen to lead the line against the Edinburgh side.
The Nigerian played the full 90 minutes, coming close to opening the scoring on a few occasions during the clash, even hitting the crossbar when it was easier to score. Déjà vu indeed.
Throughout the game, Dessers managed just three shots in total, with only one on target, while missing a big chance and succeeding with just one dribble.
He also managed to take just 23 touches during the tie, which was half the number that goalkeeper Jack Butland managed throughout the game, showing how little he saw of the ball.
The striker’s lack of involvement was also seen by the fact that he completed just seven passes from 12 attempts. His poor distribution didn’t do him any favours as he looked to open his account for the campaign.
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Cyriel Dessers’ game in numbers vs Hearts |
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|---|---|
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Total shots |
3 |
|
Big chances missed |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles |
1 |
|
Accurate passes |
7/12 |
|
Possession lost |
7 |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
Glasgow World journalist Lewis Anderson gave Dessers a match rating of 6/10, which was surprising given how poor he was as the main attacking outlet for the Light Blues.
Why Rangers must ditch Cyriel Dessers
While moving on players has proven to be tougher than expected this summer, Clement must find a willing suitor for Dessers before the end of the month, as the Ibrox side won’t win the title with the 29-year-old leading the line.
Last month, it was claimed that Rangers were looking to recoup £4.5m for the forward amid interest from Greek side PAOK, yet no move ever materialised.
Another dismal domestic showing against Hearts to begin the new season means Clement must drop him to the bench ahead of the upcoming Champions League qualifier on Tuesday evening.
There aren’t many options for the Belgian to pick from, but surely Danilo deserves a start having recovered from his serious knee injury suffered last term. The Brazilian scored six goals from 21 appearances last season, yet it was hampered by injury issues.
Rangers simply cannot afford to miss out on Europe’s premier club competition for the second year in a row, especially with the financial rewards on offer for qualification.
After just one game of the season, it is clear that Dessers is not the answer for Clement. Until more first-team players are sold, however, he may just have to persist with the striker.
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