Journo moots Rangers ace to leave in January clear out after what he did v Celtic

Rangers could look to cut ties with Cyriel Dessers in January after what he did against Celtic on Sunday, according to Stephen McGowan.

McGowan claimed in his column on page 71 of the Scottish Daily Mail [17 December] that Philippe Clement and the Gers hierarchy will not take a fond view of their experienced striker after his refusal to take one of the five penalties his side attempted in the agonising shootout at Hampden Park [15 December].

Dessers, 30, instead let goalkeeper Jack Butland step up for the fifth kick, which he scored with aplomb but it was not enough as Ridvan Yilmaz was denied by Kasper Schmeichel.

McGowan has called for “creative, smart recruitment” in January while also clearing out members of the squad “ill-equipped” for the battle, which includes the next Old Firm at Ibrox on 2 January which has been branded “non-negotiable” for Clement’s side to win.

Dessers could ultimately be part of a January clearout as the squad overhaul at the club continues, with McGowan claiming: “Creative, smart recruitment would help, while Clement might also be thinking about clearing out some of the players ill-equipped to take the fight to their rivals.

“Starting with Cyriel Dessers, the centre-forward who allowed his goalkeeper Jack Butland to take a spot-kick in a sudden-death shootout in a Hampden final while he watched from the centre circle.”

Dessers disappoints by not taking Rangers penalty

Dessers may not be Rangers’ standard penalty taker, with James Tavernier predictably stepping up first and getting his side off and running in the shootout.

But that does not excuse a refusal to be included in the opening five takers, as an experienced centre-forward. It becomes an even worse optic when his goalkeeper is putting the ball on the spot before him.

Whether Dessers would have taken the next had Butland denied Daizen Maeda’s eventual winning kick for Celtic becomes irrelevant. It is far from a good look, and fans have a right to be aggrieved.

As does Clement, who needs players who will take the fight to Celtic and not cower from heavy responsibilities – Dessers has played less football of late than he would argue should be the case, but Sunday was a chance to stand up and be counted.

There is certainly still a place for last season’s top scorer in the squad, and his pedigree provides key depth. But his actions on Sunday will have disappointed Clement, who will have known he could not force his number nine into stepping up for the good of recovering his mentality at Ibrox.

In other Rangers news, Mark Guidi expects a statement from the SFA following this incident on Sunday.

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