Tanner puts Townsend in his place after Rangers comments on Cyriel Dessers
Rangers defeated Viktoria Plzen emphatically at Ibrox in a statement UEFA Champions League win for Russell Martin.
Oliver Antman made an impressive debut at Ibrox as new signings continued to make their mark for the Glasgow side in the 3-0 victory (5 August).
However, the match was also an opportunity for others to stake their claim as the Gers continue the new season. Indeed, Cyriel Dessers wowed in the Rangers’ win despite being heavily linked with an Ibrox exit.
Dessers shocks Andy Townsend with Rangers statistics
Rangers received a bid for Dessers earlier in the window, but it was rejected, with AEK Athens short of their valuation.
The 30-year-old has since played in every single one of the Gers’ games, starting three out of four.
Against Viktoria, the forward bagged a goal and an assist to remind Ibrox just what he is capable of.
Last season, the Nigerian finished the season as the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership despite dividing opinion.
Dessers appears more likely to stay at Rangers, although that situation could change before the end of the transfer window.
- Dessers finished as the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership last season
- He has been linked with an Ibrox exit this summer
- The forward bagged a goal and an assist against Viktoria
On talkSPORT (6 August, 08:50am), the forward was a topic of conversation between Townsend and David Tanner amid the Champions League result.
Townsend said: “All the talk at the moment around strikers around here, Isak and Sesko, etc, Dessers, how did he play last night?
“Whenever I’ve watched him, I’ll be honest, I’ve never thought, considering some of the strikers I’ve seen in Ibrox years gone by, I’ve looked at him and I’ve wondered if he’s got enough about him to ever really, really get the sort of numbers you desire. What do you think?”
Tanner replied: “Well, remarkably, he ended up being the top goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership last season.”
Townsend: “Did he really? Wow, that’s amazing, fair play to him.”
Dessers still has a key role at Ibrox
While many would have been expecting Dessers to depart Ibrox this summer, he has shown he can play a key role under his new boss.
Of course, there will be added competition for places, and the Bears could still sign more forwards, but the statistics do not lie.
Last term, the Nigerian bagged 18 league goals, eclipsing the 16 scored by Celtic forward Daizen Maeda.
| Player | Club | Goals |
| Cyriel Dessers | Rangers | 18 |
| Daizen Maeda | Celtic | 16 |
| Simon Murray | Dundee | 16 |
| Martin Boyle | Hibernian | 15 |
The 30-year-old impressed against Viktoria, and Martin should continue to utilise him in his new-look Rangers side.
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