“Danilo’s Strange Season Start at Rangers: Dalziel Questions Clement’s Surprising Decisions”
Gordon Dalziel has expressed his confusion over the latest situation surrounding Danilo at Rangers this summer.
The Brazilian forward was given his first start of the season against St Johnstone, despite previously only being named on the bench without making an appearance. Though the 25-year-old made it through the first half before being substituted for Cyriel Dessers, Dalziel, an Open Goal pundit, admitted he was perplexed by Clement’s decision to start Danilo.
Speaking on the Open Goal YouTube channel (22 August, 39:25), Dalziel said: “Danilo, it just baffles me, man. I can’t figure out what’s going on there. Danilo, how much has he played this season? 45 minutes? He doesn’t get a look-in and then suddenly starts on Saturday. I can’t wrap my head around it, can you?”
There seems to be some mystery surrounding Danilo’s situation at Ibrox. After sitting on the bench for weeks without being brought on, Clement decided to start him in a relatively straightforward League Cup match against St Johnstone. Perhaps the Rangers manager saw this fixture as a chance to give Danilo some much-needed playing time, but it raises the question of why he wasn’t utilized in more crucial games like the Champions League qualifying match against Dynamo Kyiv.
Whether there’s more to the story behind the scenes remains unclear, but many fans are likely as puzzled as Dalziel. Ideally, Danilo can move past the injury problems that have held him back this season and step up to support Dessers in the attack. If he’s sidelined again, it will only lead to more speculation from both fans and pundits.