da 888casino： New Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement enjoyed an excellent start to his career in Scotland as the Ibrox side brushed aside Hibernian in a routine 4-0 victory.
da wazamba： This was their second Premiership victory in a row and all signs are looking positive under the Belgian who appears to have brought some much-needed intensity back to the club, along with a tactical identity.
The match also featured the returns of Danilo and Todd Cantwell from their recent injury woes and with a Europa Conference League tie against Sparta Prague this week, the mood is certainly buoyant.
Getting the best out of his current crop of players will be the number one priority for the former Club Brugge manager, especially if he wishes to have any sort of success this season.
Several players impressed against Hibs on the weekend and there was one name who looked slightly revitalised playing under the new boss – Cyriel Dessers.
How has Cyriel Dessers performed this season for Rangers?
The Nigerian international striker emerged as one of Michael Beale’s key summer transfer targets after he scored ten goals during the 2022/23 campaign.
Beale finally secured his signature for a fee believed to be around the £4.5m mark and with the departures of Alfredo Morelos, Fashion Sakala, and Antonio Colak as the window rolled on, it looked as though Dessers would be one of Beale’s main attacking threats.
Journalist Josh Bunting had previously lauded the striker towards the end of last season, saying he was “just so awkward to play against due to his strength” and this is the type of player Beale needed to lead the line for the Light Blues.
It has not exactly been the brightest of starts for Dessers at Ibrox however, failing to really showcase his true talents during the opening few months of the campaign.
Indeed, he currently ranks first across the squad for big chances missed (eight) in the Premiership, while ranking eighth for successful dribbles per game (0.6), fourth for big chances created (two), and fifth for goals and assists (two), clearly indicating that he has not been at the races so far.
Truth be told, not many players have shone this season due to Beale’s failure to develop a consistent style of play, something which Clement appears to have remedied straight from his first day in charge.
The 49-year-old tactician could get players firing under him and against the Easter Road outfit, Dessers finally delivered a solid performance that could revitalise him ahead of bigger challenges.
How good was Cyriel Dessers against Hibs?
Gers supporters may have expected wholesale change against Hibs, yet the starting XI had eight of the team who started the previous tie against St Mirren, and Dessers was one who came in to start over Kemar Roofe.
It was a brave call by the new boss, yet his approach seems to be all about taking risks and his gamble certainly paid off, with the 28-year-old ace enjoying a performance that could help his confidence.
The former Cremonese frontman ended up playing 81 minutes and not only did he get on the scoresheet, but he looked a general menace from the first whistle.
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Indeed, he managed to register four shots on target during the tie, while also succeeding with one of his three dribble attempts and making three key passes as he aimed to generate opportunities for others.
While he made just nine passes all game, his role was to lead the line effectively, and he will have given Clement something to think about ahead of the European tie in a few days.
Dessers must use this performance and build on it as the Gers face a hectic few months filled with vital league matches, European ties, and a potential League Cup final.
Could the Belgian perhaps unearth his own Fashion Sakala? As he endured a difficult start to his Rangers spell but gradually grew into the role as time went on.
What happened to Fashion Sakala?
After Steven Gerrard returned the Light Blues to the summit of Scottish football during the 2020/21 season, the former Liverpool captain aimed to bolster his squad ahead of the new season and Sakala was one of the many new signings.
He signed a pre-contract agreement in May of that year and the lively forward looked to be exactly the type of player Gerrard needed.
The Zambian endured a difficult start to life at the club, scoring just once before Halloween, netting against Motherwell in just his second league start and the onus was on Gerrard to bring the best out of the player.
Against the same opposition just over a month later, he bagged a hattrick, becoming the first African player to do so since Sone Aluko nine years previously, and it seemed to kickstart his career in Glasgow.
Although Gerrard moved to Aston Villa, Sakala ended up scoring eight goals and grabbing seven assists under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, signifying major progress.
His progress stalled slightly during the start of the following campaign, yet once Beale took over in November, it seemed to light a fire under the enthusiastic forward, and he was arguably Rangers key goal threat during the second half of the season, registering 18 goal contributions – 11 goals and seven assists – under the former QPR manager.
Sakala was not the most consistent of performers, and he could sometimes disappear during matches, yet his energy and enthusiasm carried him during matches and if he had just been more clinical – he missed 11 big chances in the league last season – the 26-year-old would have scored plenty more goals for the club.
Dessers could take inspiration from Sakala’s poor start, across both of his seasons in Glasgow, and use this to prove to Clement and the Ibrox faithful that he is good enough to spearhead them to glory.
A fresh start under a new manager could be the makings of the former Feyenoord forward, as it was for Sakala under van Bronckhorst and Beale, and the Belgian looks like he may have the system that could suit his strengths.
If he manages to secure wins across his next few matches, Clement may win over the supporters and a new era at Rangers could well and truly begin.