Rangers must sell Cyriel Dessers in January – Three things learned from Old Firm defeat v Celtic
Rangers’ long unbeaten run under Philippe Clement was brought to an end in the Old Firm derby as Celtic secured a 2-1 win on 30 December.
The first half saw Celtic take the lead through Paulo Bernardo after failing to clear from a corner and wasted several chances to draw level, notably from Cyriel Dessers.
Talk at half-time questioned why Rangers were not given a penalty from what appeared to be a blatant hand-ball by Alastair Johnston, but a screamer early in the second half from Kyogo Furuhashi sealed the victory for Celtic.
A James Tavernier free-kick gave Rangers some hope of a late revival after a red card to Leon Balogun had them down to ten men, but they ultimately couldn’t find a way to turn the game on its head.
Here are three things we learned from the defeat in the Old Firm derby…
Cyriel Dessers must be sold
Dessers must be one player Rangers look to move on at the earliest possible opportunity. While it may be harsh after just half a season in Glasgow, he has failed to live up to expectations and yet again let his team down in the biggest game of the season so far.
The Nigerian’s performance at Parkhead showed the worst of the forward. He was afforded the best opportunity of the game when one-on-one with Joe Hart, but failed to get his shot off and wasted the chance to draw his team level.
Dessers attempt to lead the line at Celtic Park saw him complete just 12 passes, winning just three of his 14 duels, committing four fouls and losing the ball six times, as well as wasting countless chances going forward. [Sofascore]
Get away fans back in the ground
We knew it before the game began, and it was made even more apparent in the high-stakes contest, but Rangers and Celtic absolutely must put their egos aside and find a way of bringing away fans back to this fixture.
Imagine the roar of the travelling support after that James Tavernier free-kick got them back in the game with around ten minutes to play, the way they would have sucked that ball towards Joe Hart’s goal. That’s what was, and has been missing from now four consecutive Old Firm derbies.
Clement must prove his team can bounce back
With the long unbeaten run under Philippe Clement finally coming to an end, Rangers must now show they have what it takes to bounce back from that disappointment, rather than riding the crest of a wave.
The defeat at Parkhead saw Celtic move eight points clear at the top of the league, but with two games in hand, Rangers could shorten that deficit to just two points and keep the pressure on. They absolutely must prove they can do so to keep their title hopes alive.
In other Rangers news, Tom English reacted to the controversial decision v Celtic.