Exclusive: A pundit expressed bewilderment at the Rangers’ decision and Shankland at the events at Ibrox.
Kris Boyd claims that if Lawrence Shankland had been playing against Ross County rather than Cyriel Dessers, he would have scored six goals for the Rangers.
While the Sky Sports pundit is growing more and more happy with what the summer signing, who scored twice, is doing for the team, he couldn’t help but notice what is lacking. On Wednesday, February 14, he wrote in his Scottish Sun column that the 3-1 victory was “astonishing” in how many attempts the Light Blues had at Ibrox.
Rangers and Hearts skipper Shankland were strongly linked for weeks prior to the January transfer window closing without a deal happening, and they still are.
“To have 43 shots at goal and 23 on target is astonishing,” Boyd remarked. However, it felt like a lost chance to end that game with only three goals.
Since the winter break, Cyriel Dessers has gained my trust and become a better person. With Danilo and Abdallah Sima out, he has a lot of responsibilities and never runs away.
“On Wednesday versus County, Dessers scored two goals, but he should have had at least twice as many. You have to wonder what the score would have been in the end if Lawrence Shankland had played for the Rangers.
“Clement could use a finisher of that caliber, but I’m not sure how close a January deal was for the Hearts striker. Shankland would have scored SIX in midweek, without taking offense to County.
“Dessers is a contemporary striker. He attempts to link the play, runs the channels, and occupies the central defenders. However, a penalty-box finisher still has a place in the game, and the Rangers lacked one versus County.
Rangers’ “astonishing” victory over Ross County came without Shankland.
It’s possible that Dessers wouldn’t be in the news right now for the midweek victory if he hadn’t arrived at Ibrox with great hopes and then spent weeks pretending to be nice.
Although George Wickens made 19 saves on that particular night (BBC Sport, February 14), the Nigerian striker was not entirely ineffective on several occasions that found the back of the net.
Of course, the attention has been focused more on Rangers because they seemed to have a great chance to surpass Celtic at the top of the table and increase their goal differential at home against the team in 19th position.
Nevertheless, even though Dessers and Fabio Silva were both performing well, a number nine seemed to be the most important prerequisite going into January, therefore it would have been better to add on.
Many supporters would rank Shankland first, and it’s easy to understand why with 24 goals this season, but Rangers seemed to have other priorities during the winter transfer window.
Even if the Jambos deny that there was ever an offer last month, the 28-year-old Scot may still be on the cards in the summer because he has refused all Tynecastle contract extensions.
Although Shankland himself might have been frequently foiled by Wickens at Ibrox on Wednesday, attention will inevitably turn to Edinburgh until one of Dessers or Silva can begin to score at a comparable rate.
