Rangers need a strong, experienced core of players to effectively compete for league titles and significant trophies, according to Cyriel Dessers. The Nigerian striker, who played for Rangers for two seasons before transferring to Panathinaikos for a reported £3.5 million last September, reflected on his time in Glasgow during a recent interview. He candidly discussed the missing elements that have prevented Rangers from consistently securing silverware.
Dessers Identifies Key Gaps for Rangers’ Success
Dessers highlighted the dressing room culture he encountered during his first season, which was shaped by key figures like Connor Goldson, James Tavernier, Borna Barisic, and John Lundstram. He explained how this environment positively influenced his performance. In contrast, he noted that his second season felt different, as a shift in the core leadership led to a decline in daily accountability.
“I think for a team like Rangers to be competing for league titles and trophies, having an experienced core is essential,” he said. You see a lot of clubs with the business model of buying young players, developing them, and selling them. For a lot of clubs, this can work.
“At Rangers, it can also work, but it has to be in balance with that core of experience – guys who understand the league, who’ve been there for a few years, who’ve been through the difficult and good moments, and who can guide those young, talented players.”
“If you don’t win, people don’t care about development; they don’t care about how much money they get for you when they sell you, it’s only about winning on the Saturday, winning on the Sunday. And this is the number one at Rangers. I like this mentality.
“But it helps if you have the core of players that understand this and can transfer it well to a group in a dressing room, not only in training by putting the bar high, but also on game days to let the group know, ‘Hey, today we cannot drop anything’.”