As Philippe Clement suggests he’ll really see who has the guts in his squad following defeat to Motherwell, Cyriel Dessers must feel his Rangers coat on a shoogly peg. The Nigerian striker, 28, was one of the club’s marquee additions in the summer and has blown occasionally hot but regularly cold in a Rangers jersey. On a day when Rangers’ injury-ravaged forward line blew their chance to become heroes v Motherwell at Ibrox, the true cost of the club’s latest slip-up is yet to be revealed. Speaking after the match, Philippe Clement said he’d “get to know my team even better” by how they bounce back from the 2-1 defeat, urging the leaders in his team to “stand up”. Something tells us that if Cyriel Dessers doesn’t get his shooting boots on in the weeks ahead, then Philippe Clement’s call to arms might well be a precursor to an Ibrox exit. Cyriel Dessers wasn’t the only one who misfired against Motherwell, but when you’re a £4.5m striker and the club’s number nine, prepare to shoulder a big portion of the blame.

If you’re brave enough to take the number 9 jersey at Ibrox, then you need to be brave enough to handle the burden that comes with it. Scoring big goals is all that matters. A failure to shoulder the responsibility of going on and winning the game is part of the problem and the likeable big striker needs to step up for Rangers now or his profligate finishing will sign the death warrant for his Ibrox career. Against Motherwell, Cyriel Dessers had four shots, three of which were blocked, and struggled to either fire or bundle the ball over the opposition goal line. It was a tired, lacklustre, and derisory performance, further highlighted by the bullish, aggressive showing from Theo Bair at the other side of the pitch. Exemplified by a tame effort which was saved by ex-Rangers Academy graduate Liam Kelly in the first half, it’s got to be the catalyst for change for a striker on whom much of our title hopes rest. This needing four or five chances to score one goal has got to stop for a striker who cost a lot but is yet to prove himself reliable in the big moments. Reliability is the word too; Cyriel Dessers has scored 16 goals for Rangers this season, including 12 in the Premiership, but he quite simply continues to fluff his lines in the big moments. If the forward is going to make it at Rangers – and not be hounded out by the groans of supporters come the summer window – then he has got be more decisive in crucial moments in the final third. Routinely over-complicating simple opportunities, it’s cost the club several times this season and unless the striker addresses things, it will change the course of his Rangers career. With Dessers having missed the opportunity to steal the headlines, all eyes are now on another Scottish Premiership striker who could just about rescue the title momentum at Ibrox.

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