Our man offers his input as the Rangers look to capture their second major title in a week.
It’s time to talk about Cyriel Dessers.
Let’s face it: if any other striker in Europe had scored that goal against Real Betis on Thursday night, the entire world would have been talking about it. But, because it was Dessers, there’s a lingering impression that it happened practically by chance. I, for one, am overjoyed for the big man because I’ve really felt for him over the last six months as he’s battled to acclimate to life as the Rangers’ No.9.
And I’m hoping this is the moment that kickstarts his Ibrox career. Dessers is far from the first player to have been caught by surprise by the pressures involved in wearing that shirt. I know because I have seen it with my own eyes. You might think you know all about Rangers before you sign for the club but it’s only when you walk through those front doors for the first time that it really begins to hit home. I’ve seen top class players run out onto that pitch and absolutely crumble under the weight of expectation. They hear 50,000 fans growling at them for one misplaced pass and they have a look on their face that says, ‘What the f*** is all this about?’
I lost count of the amount of times we’d be booed off the park at half time because it was only 0-0 at the break – and then some of the new boys in the dressing room would be wondering what all the fuss was about. I’d just laugh and say to them, ‘Listen guys, this is Rangers. You better get used to it!’
I genuinely believe the demands placed on players in this part of the world are almost unique. Yes, they may have played for some huge clubs in their own countries and in bigger and better leagues but it still comes as a shock to the system when they experience it for the first time.
And I suspect Dessers falls into that category. One look at his track record shows he knows where the goal is. We’re talking about a guy who was top scorer in the Eredivisie and also the top scorer in the Europa Conference League with Feyenoord.
He was good enough to get a move to Serie A for goodness sake. So there’s a proper, proven centre forward in there somewhere. OK, I accept, he’s been hiding it well up until now. But, over the last wee while, there have been signs that he’s finally starting to find his feet again in Glasgow.
I listened to an interview the big man gave two or three weeks ago and I could tell how badly he was hurting and how much he wanted to turn things around after a difficult start to his time at Rangers. He wasn’t just trotting out the usual platitudes. It was obvious he meant every word.
Well, with Danilo out of action for some time to come, he’s been pushed back out into the firing line and scored two important goals in two games against Dundee and Betis. That’s not a bad start. He’s also cemented his place in the starting line-up for tomorrow’s Viaplay Cup Final against Aberdeen, when that might have been far from certain just a couple of weeks ago.
And it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he gets his name on the scoresheet again at Hampden where Rangers will lift the first silverware of the season. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not writing Aberdeen off as no hopers and I certainly don’t expect it to be an easy afternoon for my old side. Far from it.
But I do firmly believe that they have enough quality in the tank to get the job done and, more importantly, the mentality required to make sure of it. That’s what delighted me most about Thursday night’s win in Spain. Without getting carried away, I can sense a huge shift in mindset under Clement.
As painful as it is to admit it, Rangers looked weak under the previous manager. Whenever the heat was put on them they would almost always wilt. And that was hard for fans to stomach.
But what they are seeing now is a Rangers side showing the kind of steely resolve which these supporters demand. To go to a place like Seville and come away with a win, securing top spot in the group and a place in the last 16 of the Europa League? That’s a phenomenal achievement and a tremendous result for the Scottish game in general.
And let’s not overlook Aberdeen’s win over Eintracht Frankfurt and Celtic’s victory over Feyenoord. All in all, it’s been a sensational week for our teams and it should make everyone in the country feel a bit better about themselves.
But the Rangers win in Spain tops the lot because there was so much riding on it and it was such a difficult place to have to go to. Betis had not been beaten at home all season and even Real Madrid could only get a draw there at the weekend. So what Clement and his players achieved was a spectacular success and they’ll go to Hampden tomorrow on the crest of a wave because of it.
The final is set up perfectly with Aberdeen’s tails up as well but I fully expect Rangers to come out on top because, under the Belgian, I’m seeing a side which can be trusted to deliver when the pressure is on.
People will say, ‘It’s only the League Cup,’ and it’s true that this trophy is the third most important of the domestic season. As a player, I used to start every season believing it was the very minimum we had to get our hands on.
But its importance shouldn’t be underestimated nonetheless. At the end of his first treble winning season at Celtic big Ange Postecoglou spoke about the importance of getting that first trophy in the bag. The Aussie said that winning the cup was a springboard for what came after – and he was absolutely spot on.
Now Clement has the opportunity to get off to the same start, even earlier into his time at the helm. And don’t be surprised if Dessers has a major role to play in delivering the goods.
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