17 in 23? Cyriel Dessers is on fire for Rangers | OneFootball

Was this the match where Cyriel Dessers finally secured Rangers’ fan love? With 4 shots 3 on target, and two goals, the Nigeria striker pulled level with club captain James Tavernier on 12 goals, and seemed to at last cement himself as a serious outlet for strikes.

It’s been a long and difficult road for the former Feyenoord striker, but Ibrox Noise has backed him repeatedly against fan ire, and while we’d always admit we’d have rather kept Antonio Colak, what Dessers is doing, we’ve supported from the first whistle.

And with another brace, more goals, and Rangers fans are now genuinely starting to have affection for the hitman.

He will never be the most graceful, he will never be the most clinical, and indeed his stumbling run at Zander Clark today before messing up what looked like a certain goal, before later heading wide at an open goal did show he will never be filled with finesse.

But it’s hard to argue with the man’s numbers, isn’t it? 16 goals in 38 appearances plus 7 assists pretty much confirms Dessers as Rangers’ number one striker, and while the manager will continue to rotate, there is no getting away that the ex-Heracles man is showing the same form now that he did at the Erve Asito with 18 goals, 6 assists in 28.

He’s bang in form, and at last he is actually becoming popular, and he has earned that.

The secret?

Clement, simple.

We defended Dessers under Beale – 3 goals, 3 assists in 13 is still 6 in 13, and that’s very good.

But these days under Clement it’s 17 in 23.

No one under Clement has experienced a better spike in fortunes, and that includes a tonne of players who we’re just seeing so much more from under the Belgian.

Not every performance will sparkle, not all of them will be this good, but the impact Clement has made on this club has been palpable.

All he needs to do now is beat Celtic and Aberdeen and win the league.

All in a day’s work? Well, he’s made a genuine player out of Dessers, so we’d say there’s little this man can’t do.