Gordon Dalziel makes ‘Massive’ Dessers claim at Rangers, fans calls it ‘Mental’
Gordon Dalziel has hilariously angered all Celtic fans with throwaway comments on Rangers star Cyriel Dessers.
The Gers have nothing left to play for and were left disappointed in a 1-1 draw in the final Old Firm Derby of the season on Sunday (4 May).
Cyriel Dessers launched Rangers in front, but Barry Ferguson’s side later conceded a second-half equaliser from Adam Idah, with most of the drama off the pitch.
The two strikers have been important to the Glasgow clubs in different circumstances, and as the 2024/25 season winds down, their contributions have been placed under the microscope.
Dalziel makes huge Dessers admission
Dessers has made a significant contribution in the final stages of the Scottish Premiership, netting three in his last five, scoring over 20 yet again in all competitions this season.
Dalziel appeared fond of his impact during a discussion about him and Idah on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard.
“I’m a massive Dessers fan,” he said. “I know he misses a lot of chances, and he takes a lot of criticism. But I think positioning-wise in the box, he misses a lot of chances because he’s always in the right position.”
Marvin Bartley added: “I do believe if you put Dessers in Celtic’s team, he’ll score more goals than Idah has.”
The assertion sent shockwaves throughout the studio, and a fan who had called in was less than pleased.
“That’s one of the most mental things I’ve heard from a pundit in a long time,” they responded. “Even Rangers fans laugh at the amount of chances he misses.”
Dessers is a better option than Idah
Despite netting several times for Rangers this season, Dessers has faced a lot of criticism, notably for the chances he misses.
This season in the Scottish Premiership, Dessers has scored 14 goals for Rangers while Idah has netted 11 for Celtic.
| Premiership 2024/25 | Goals | Total Shots | Goal Conversion | Big Chances Missed |
| Cyriel Dessers | 14 | 2.2 | 20% | 20 |
| Adam Idah | 11 | 2.2 | 16% | 16 |
While taking the same number of shots, Dessers’ goal conversion rate is better than Idah’s.
The observation that Dessers misses several chances, while true, seems a result of his excellent positioning rather than anything else.
Despite being a stand-out player for Rangers last season, Hamza Igamane seems to have lost his place in the starting lineup, with the Nigerian preferred.
Having already displaced Igamane and leading Idah in goals scored in the Premiership this season, Dalziel’s assertion may have some truth to it after all.
The striker has admitted his hurt over criticism in recent days, but all he can do is keep finding the back of the net and push for more silverware.