Chris Sutton, Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller in disbelief live on Sky Sports by what Danilo did in Rangers 1-0 win at Hearts
Danilo managed to leave three former strikers bemused by his failure to score two simple chances for Rangers in the win at Hearts.
The Brazilian had one excellent close-range opportunity in either half at Tynecastle on 6 December but both times took a touch and wasted them when a first-time finish looked obvious, allowing Zander Clark and Kyosuke Tagawa respectively to get back and block.
That left all of Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton reacting with disbelief live on the Sky Sports match coverage by the lack of nouse in finding the net as the Light Blues’ strikers continued to struggle.
Speaking at half-time Sutton said (8.55pm): “I don’t know why he doesn’t take this first time, I mean just take it there. Takes the touch under a little bit of pressure, gets the shot off. Brilliant, important save from Clark because I think at 2-0 there’d be no way back in this for Hearts who haven’t offered enough going forward.
“I’d take that first time. Six yards out, blimey. Good contact and that’d been a goal.”
Miller reacted to the second instance live (9.12pm): “It’s an incredible miss. He takes a touch again. I don’t know why he’s not just smashing that into the back of the goal as soon as it drops. But he takes a touch and even at that he should still score. It’s an incredible block from Tagawa.”
Boyd then spoke after the final whistle over the first-half miss and said (10.08pm): “Just hit it first time, there’s no need to take the touch, it allows the defender to get back in, it allows Zander Clarke to get set, hit it!”
Then regarding the second-half repeat: “This one as well, okay it’s a reaction, just hit it! I really don’t know, whether you’re lacking in confidence, whether you’re not a natural finisher.
“I think a natural finisher just hits it, you don’t allow people to get back in, don’t allow the goalkeeper to get set. It’s a mistake, you’re looking for that…I don’t understand, you’re taught as a young kid to get your shots away as quickly as you possibly can, there’s no need to take a touch with any of them.”
Sutton added: “It was with his weaker foot but I mean, you’re five yards out, it’s a swinger, just get contact on the ball first time. Takes a touch and the chance was gone.”
Frustration
Philippe Clement’s decision to drop Cyriel Dessers for the trip to Hearts seemed like a sensible one given Danilo is probably the one who has shown the most this season from the three summer striker signings.
Dessers and Sam Lammers have attracted heavy criticism for their performances, but after the tight win at Tynecastle it might be time to put Danilo back in the same bracket.
It is one thing to have fans with their heads in their hands after failing to find the net with good chances, but when three men who knew how to score in the SPFL are all saying the same thing it is clear the former Feyenoord man got it all wrong.
Given the way things have gone for Rangers collectively this season, and personally for Danilo after he suffered a facial fracture in scoring a goal at St Johnstone in September [Sky Sports], it is likely a lack of confidence that effected his finishing.
Luckily for him he wasn’t shown up at the other end this time by potential January target Lawrence Shankland, as Dessers was in the 2-1 win at Ibrox on 29 October, and also that it didn’t affect the result.
But the two high-profile chances missed could have been the difference between three points and none and, added to the long catalogue of disappointing outings for the struggling trio this term, suggests Clement will want to sign a reliable scorer in the New Year.
In other Rangers news, a relationship at Ibrox looks “strained to breaking point” due to an “obvious personality clash”