“Striker Shortcomings: Why Dessers Falls Short and Morelos is Missed at Rangers”
Cyriel Dessers is not the solution for Glasgow Rangers. Despite his good intentions and hard work, the Nigerian striker isn’t enough for the Light Blues to clinch the Premiership title as their primary forward.
Last season, for example, he scored 22 goals and provided nine assists in 54 appearances, totaling 31 goal contributions. This translates to one goal involvement every 1.7 games, which isn’t bad.
However, a closer look at his top-flight statistics reveals why he isn’t suitable for next season. The 29-year-old missed 27 big chances in 35 matches and had a goal conversion rate of only 16%, which is far from impressive.
Danilo is expected to be fit for the start of the season after recovering from a serious knee injury in December. Yet, questions will arise if he fails to score upon regaining full fitness.
The Ibrox side made a significant error by letting Alfredo Morelos leave for free at the end of the 2022/23 season when his contract expired. Morelos’ caliber would be ideal for Philippe Clement’s team right now.
Alfredo Morelos’ Rangers statistics:
Morelos joined Rangers as a 21-year-old with potential, having excelled at HJK Helsinki by scoring 46 goals in 62 appearances. Although he had a lot of potential, was the move too risky for Pedro Caixinha, who aimed to dethrone Celtic?
He had a lot of potential, but was the move too risky for Pedro Caixinha, who aimed to dethrone Celtic?
His debut season, with 18 goals and eight assists for the Ibrox side, proved the gamble was worthwhile and his performance kept improving.
He scored 30 goals the following season, then 29 and 17 in subsequent seasons, elevating the Colombian striker to cult hero status, especially for his achievements on the European stage.
Notably, after scoring against Benfica in November 2020, he finished with a record of 29 European goals from 63 matches, becoming the club’s highest scorer in continental competitions.
However, he suffered an injury while on international duty with Colombia in April 2022, which ruled him out of both the Scottish Cup and Europa League finals. The injury took longer than expected to heal, limiting him to just 12 goals in 48 matches. As the season progressed, it became clear that Morelos was ready to leave after six years with the club.
In his prime, he was a powerful striker, capable of creating opportunities from nothing and performing well on the big stage. Although his last few seasons were not as remarkable, Clement still desires a player with his abilities in the final third.
Could the Belgian manager be considering someone who scored against the Light Blues three times last season?