Hugh Keevins suffers after on-air Youssef Chermiti claim at Rangers, Kevin Thelwell deserves apology
Hugh Keevins believes fans and pundits were wrong about Youssef Chermiti and Kevin Thelwell at Rangers.
The veteran broadcaster has backtracked on his earlier criticism of the 21-year-old striker, who has been under extreme pressure this season after moving to the Gers for £8million from Everton last summer.
Keevins recently said on the radio that the Portuguese centre-forward was the third-best number nine at the Light Blues, but he’s had to eat his words after the attacker’s hat-trick against Hearts in the 4-2 win at Ibrox.
Thelwell was also heavily scrutinised for his recruitment at the Glaswegian outfit, but the former sporting director’s belief in Chermiti may have been well-founded, as his Sofascore graphic below highlights how good he can be.
- Read More: Chermiti has been likened to Peter Crouch
Rangers fans justified in Youssef Chermiti frustration after what’s happened
Chermiti signed for the Gers at a time when they were looking to replace Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane, and there have been high expectations on the youngster from the get-go due to his price tag.
While the Portugal Under-21 international has scored against Celtic and Hearts this season, it’s his inconsistency that has left the Ibrox faithful wanting more.
Fans in G51 have every right to demand from a player whom the Glaswegian outfit paid a hefty sum for, and if the centre-forward can sustain his form, then supporters will truly start to have faith in him and realise Thelwell was right all along.
Writing in the Daily Record on 21 February, Keevins said, “I hold my hands up too. Two days before Youssef’s hat-trick against Hearts, I said on radio he was the third-best striker at Ibrox, words for which I have now started to suffer. But does all of this not mean the Rangers fans went too early with their dismissal of Chermiti?”
The veteran broadcaster added, “I could have sworn they decried the player and wondered why he wasn’t shipped out of Ibrox during the last transfer window. So, if the pundits are wrong, the fans must be wrong too. And Thelwell should get an apology.”
Both Chermiti and Miovski have failed to hit the ground running after their moves to the Govan side last summer, and the only way they can prove fans wrong is by showcasing their reliability up front.
Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises will hope for Youssef Chermiti transfer repeat
Besiktas were linked with a move for Chermiti in the winter transfer window despite the Super Lig club apparently offering £13m for him.
Rangers surely signed the young striker to make a profit on him in the coming future, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for him.
Many fans would’ve liked to see the Light Blues accept the possible offer from Turkey for Chermiti, and Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises will certainly hope another team comes in for him sooner rather than later.
The American owners should look to fix the player-trading model at the Glaswegian outfit, which has underwhelmed in recent years, and the Portuguese attacker could potentially be someone whose sale brings in a lot of money in G51.
Fans can visit Football Insider for more in-depth analysis on the Gers.