Lawrence Shankland has been linked with a move to Rangers since his early days in the Scottish lower leagues and not much has changed since.
After scoring 28 goals so far this season for Hearts, there is an element of the support around Ibrox that thinks this number proves that the Scotland international would have guaranteed success this season had he been in Rangers squad.
Add this to the reported £4.5m transfer fee paid for Cyriel Dessers, who struggled in the early part of the season, and it is easy to see why Lawrence Shankland is the one that Rangers fans want – but is this fair?
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Cyriel Dessers gets unfair comparison by Rangers fans
Speaking to host David Edgar on the Heart and Hand Daily Update for Tuesday 23 of April, author and amateur tactician Adam Thornton reckons that the comparison is out of order:
“He’s struggled for me based on people’s fantasy comparison with Lawrence Shankland.
“That Lawrence Shankland, there is no doubt in a lot of people’s minds that Lawrence Shankland is going to come in and score 30 goals for Rangers.
“The same Lawrence Shankland who has, like, one goal in his last 10 games.
“I think Dessers has struggled with trying to compare him with something that just doesn’t exist.
“I mean, Lawrence Shankland could come in and score 25-30 goals for Rangers but it’s nowhere near the cast iron guarantee that people think it is.”
Are Rangers better off with Dessers than Shankland?
Thorton makes a great point.
If Cyriel Dessers took penalties for Rangers, he could have been on over 35 goals for the season and that includes missing a few.
A tally of 43 goal contributions in 48 games looks pretty impressive.
It gets forgotten that all of Dessers goals are from open play.
Yes, you have to score from 12 yards too, but even most amateur forwards will have respectable records from the penalty spot.
Dessers misses a lot of chances – more big chances than any other striker in the league – but he gets into the position to miss them.
It’s textbook Ally McCoist.
The 355 goal Gers legend used to miss loads, however, he could also be relied upon to score the big goals when it mattered most and this is where Dessers is lagging the most.
Aside from a goal against Real Betis and his double against Hearts at the weekend, his biggest goals have been against the teams from Edinburgh.
Old Firm goals and medals are really what makes a Rangers striker.
Look at Kris Boyd, there is no doubting his goals record, but how many did he score against Celtic?
If you add a couple of winning Old Firm goals on Cyriel Dessers record from now until the end of the season, the perception of the Rangers striker will totally change.
It’s the only way that the Gers striker can silence the doubters and put to bed any claims that we would be better off with Shankland.
