Rangers: Outrage at Wolves loanee ‘paid a fortune’ Fabio Silva as Celtic challenge collapses
Kris Boyd has been left in disbelief at the failings in the Rangers attacking ranks as the club’s form has fallen apart to hand Celtic the title initiative.
The Sky Sports pundit, writing in his Scottish Sun column on 19 April, named five Gers forwards who he doesn’t think are up to task, while giving Abdallah Sima a pass after a long-term injury absence.
But after Philippe Clement’s side dropped five points in the loss to Ross County and the goalless draw at Dundee over the past week he pointed the finger of blame most strongly at high-profile Wolves loanee Fabio Silva for not living up to the “fortune” he is on, and Old Firm derby hero Rabbi Matondo for his wayward shooting.
Boyd wrote: “There is no real creativity from middle to front from players whose job it is to provide that. Look at Todd Cantwell and tell me what he brings to the table. Tom Lawrence is a nice footballer, but he’s the same.
“Then there’s Fabio Silva, someone who once cost £35million and will be getting paid a fortune. I mean, wow. Just wow. It’s not his fault about the fee or the wages someone is prepared to pay for him. But what is his fault is the number of times he’s caught on his heels.
“I’ll cut Abdallah Sima some slack because he’s been out for so long with injuries. But I said Cyriel Dessers wasn’t up to being the main striker at Rangers pretty much after taking one look at him and nothing has happened to change my mind.
“And don’t start me on Rabbi Matondo, who needs the goals to be the width of the penalty box to hit the target on a regular basis.”
Rangers attack blasted by Kris Boyd
It was only a few weeks ago that the likes of Silva and Dessers were in line for deserved praise for holding the fort up front in the absence of a January transfer for a striker, but now the club’s form has fallen away in a big way they have been left wanting.
The Nigerian international probably has enough qualities to be a useful option as a second or third choice, but a combination of injury issues and failings in the transfer market have left him the de facto first choice for months now, while Silva arrived on loan in the winter and initially impressed leading the line.
He wasn’t seen as the answer at striker when he came in, but ironically he has probably looked better in that position than he has as an auxiliary forward coming in from wide.
Matondo scored stunning goals in back-to-back games at Ibrox, as Hibs were defeated for the only SPFL win since February and Celtic were pegged back for a dramatic point, so the Welshman could probably argue that he has been hard done by to remain on the bench behind the Portuguese regardless, even if he is one of too many players to arrive in Glasgow in recent seasons and flash hot and cold.
Ross McCausland is still young but his influence has also dried up as he is regularly left among the subs, so he also might have an argument for more game time when Silva is disappointing.
The number 10 role is perhaps the most frustrating of the lot, with Cantwell probably the star of the Michael Beale side last term that appeared to be ending the campaign on the up, but he was out of form during the early season struggles this season and Clement has seemingly never truly rated him, even if the controversy of his first-half substitution in the Belgian’s early weeks subsided.
Lawrence has regularly been preferred of late and while a talented player has never had a consistent impact as he, like Matondo, has been inconsistent and afflicted by injuries.
On their day all the players named by Boyd can be excellent, but arguably none have ever turned a game on their own for Rangers, so Clement has decisions to make heading into the summer.
In other Rangers news, Neil Doncaster is facing a costly six-figure payment over a controversial issue involving the Light Blues.
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