Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers “cannot be trusted” to start against Celtic in the forthcoming Old Firm match, according to Gary Keown.Dessers has 12 goals in the Scottish Premiership this season, but he is now five games without a goal in all competitions after going scoreless against Benfica in midweek.
According to noted journalist Keown, the Nigeria international must simply be left out of Philippe Clement’s important matches.In his editorial for the Scottish Mail on Sunday [page 92, 17 March], he emphasised the importance of making quick, decisive judgements while facing larger, more structured teams.”That’s why Thursday night’s 1-0 reverse to the Portuguese champions really ought to spell the end for Dessers as a starter in matches that really, really matter.”He simply cannot be trusted when the heat is turned up the greatest.”Celtic’s visit to Ibrox in three weeks will undoubtedly be one of those events, as it has the potential to allow Rangers to lay their hands on a Premiership trophy that no one in their right mind would have predicted they could win five months ago.”And manager Philippe Clement needs to start working on a plan that does not include the Nigerian international in the XI that emerges from the tunnel and faces what appears to be a date with destiny.”Dessers leads the Scottish Premiership scoring charts with 12 goals in 26 appearances, including his next match against Dundee.
The 29-year-old also has one goal in Europa League, Scottish Cup, Viaplay Cup, and Champions League qualifiers.Dessers, on the other hand, failed to score in 153 minutes of activity in the Europa League’s last-16 setback to Benfica.In the second leg, Clement’s team squandered a golden opportunity, which finally came back to haunt them.
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