Gary Keown tears into Dessers as serious Nils Koppen questions emerge at Rangers
Gary Keown believes Cyriel Dessers is a “significant” reason Philippe Clement is on the brink of losing his job at Rangers.
The Nigerian has been a cause for concern at Ibrox all season, with the overall consensus being that the forward is not of the required quality to wear the Gers shirt.
However, Keown believes Nils Koppen deserves the blame for recruiting Dessers, writing for The Mail on Sunday [1 December], and has questioned whether his promotion to technical director was a worthwhile decision for the Light Blues.
He wrote: “The fact the Ibrox club only just seem to be realising and accepting that the Nigeria international is not, has not been and never will be the answer as the main focal point of the attack really ought to ask serious questions of Nils Koppen too.
“Dessers’ tea is finally out, but it’s too late to salvage the league title that slipped through the club’s hands last season. It’s too late to make this term’s title race a contest either. And the £40m that could have come from Europe is long gone too.
“It’s why Clement’s tea is out as well, no matter what happens in the Europa League.
“Whether Koppen deserved his promotion on the back of all this – along with other issues relating to overall recruitment plus the exact degree of relevant experience on his CV – is a matter of further discussion.”
Philippe Clement must let go of Cyriel Dessers to save himself at Rangers
Hamza Igamane was handed an unlikely start in the 4-1 win against Nice on Thursday [28 November] – he scored two goals and added one assist in the Europa League clash.
Clement cannot justify dropping the Moroccan in the must-win match against St Johnstone on Sunday [1 November] despite his apparent preference to lean towards Dessers in the big Scottish Premiership fixtures.
The Nigeria international has only scored four goals in 12 Premiership appearances this term, and when faced against top-level opposition, he lets his teammates down time and time again.
Therefore, his inconsistency in front of goal has not just cost his place in the side, but potentially Clement’s position at Ibrox as his tenure has become a hot topic of discussion throughout the campaign, with his future looking more insecure with each passing match.
However, Clement has proven he is ready to take a “big gamble”, having exhausted all possible avenues at the Gers and trusting the forward line in the hands of Igamane could be what helps the boss navigate a make-or-break period for his tenure.
Regardless, the SPFL campaign is already over, and while qualification to the knockout stages of the Europa League will help the club’s coffers, it will be nothing compared to the £40 million on offer in the Champions League.
Rangers should look to move Dessers on as soon as possible, but with Koppen calling the shots, there is little hope that the director can identify a suitable replacement.
In other Rangers news, the Gers could secure the pre-contract signing of Aberdeen ace Jack MacKenzie.
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