Rangers v Hearts: ‘Bad things normally follow’ after what Cyriel Dessers said – Tom English
Cyriel Dessers may have got “carried away” with his claim that Rangers are the best in the SPFL when on form, says Tom English.
The BBC Sport writer praised the Ibrox striker for his match-winning two-goal performance to beat Hearts at Hampden on 21 April for the broadcaster’s website, but suggested the Nigerian international’s positive assertion could be an issue for Philippe Clement as “bad things normally follow” such claims from the Light Blues.
English believes Dessers may have “silenced” a few doubters with his showing as Rangers booked their place in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic with a 2-0 win, having been criticised this season for the number of chances he misses while being compared unfavourably to opposite number and Ibrox-linked Jambos captain Lawrence Shankland, but the rallying cry might have gone too far.
He wrote: “Maybe the big man got a bit carried away after that when asked about the league title race. Buoyed by his Hampden goals he said that if Rangers can get their ‘rhythm’ back then ‘we are the best team in the league.’ Oh dear.
“Normally when you hear that kind from the blue side of the city then bad things normally follow. But he’s said it now and needs to back it up.”
Rangers reach Scottish Cup final vs Celtic
It probably is unwise of Dessers or anybody else at Ibrox to make too many bold claims about their quality when they have just spent the past two months throwing away the advantage in the title race.
But at the same time if they are going to revive their slim hopes of snatching the initiative back from Celtic for a second time it will require the sort of belief that the striker demonstrated.
He has taken plenty of flack this season, and plenty of it is understandable when his catalogue of misses is so extensive, but he equally has been there giving his all and scoring an increasingly-important load of goals throughout.
At the very least he has surely earned the respect of the Rangers fanbase, who have seen virtually every other source of regular goals disappear for months with injury.
If he were to be the back up to someone like Shankland next season it might be the ideal set-up as his unavoidable inconsistency will bite the club if he is the man they are relying on week-in and week-out.
His goals against Hearts were vital and the early opener one of his best for the club, so he can’t be accused of not playing his part this term, but it will take a massive effort for him to be able to back up his post-match claims and, the cup win aside, there hasn’t been enough evidence throughout the side lately that will be possible.
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist infuriated by what one Light Blues player did in the cup win that forced his teammate to bail him out.
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