Cyriel Dessers namechecked as Philippe Clement takes Rangers gamble
Scott McDermott believes Philippe Clement’s “big gamble” to start Rangers youngster Hamza Igamane over Cyriel Dessers in their Europa League clash against Nice on Thursday was the correct call to make.
The Gers beat the Ligue 1 outfit 4-1 on 28 November, which has put the club all the way up to eighth in the Europa League table.
Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast (29 November), McDermott shared his thoughts on Clement’s decision to start the Morocco international.
“[Igamane] certainly looked more composed in front of goal than Dessers,” he said.
“It was a really big night for Igamane. He had made a couple of starts for Rangers domestically and looked a million miles away from being ready, but he certainly stepped it up last night.
“It was a big gamble by Clement but it paid off. And I hope for the boy it is a big turning point for him at Rangers and in his career because he was excellent.”
Hamza Igamane could become the saviour for Philippe Clement at Rangers
Igamane’s arrival has been questioned since he was brought in by the Belgian in the summer window due to the unreadiness he’s shown in the games he’s been called upon this season.
However, when looking at his performance against the Ligue 1 outfit on Thursday, it feels like that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The main area that Rangers have seemed to struggle in this season is the final third with Dessers’ inconsistency often being the thorn in Clement’s side.
He may well be the club’s top scorer again this season but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he has to miss three or four chances before finally getting one in the back of the net.
Thanks to the Gers’ poor performances in the league, the future of the Belgian at Ibrox has been brought into question on more than one occasion with most fans already calling for his head.
If Clement wants to keep his job, the best way for him to do that will likely be to continue starting the former AS Far man and see if he can lead the Gers to victory.
In other Rangers news, a journalist has raised questions about where the future of Lawrence Shankland may lie.
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