Former Rangers midfielder, Andy Halliday has shared his thoughts on forward Cyriel Dessers, shedding light on both the striker’s impressive strengths and lingering challenges.
Halliday praised Dessers’ remarkable speed, power, and physicality but was critical of the inconsistency that has often hindered the Nigeria international’s performance.
Reflecting on a recent match against Dundee, Halliday highlighted the missed opportunities and noted that Dessers could have scored multiple goals.
He emphasized that finding the right balance between composure and instinct will be crucial for unlocking Dessers’ full potential.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s quick, powerful, and strong as anything,” Halliday said in an interview. “But he’s frustrating in terms of that lack of consistency.
“The amount of chances he misses, he could have had four or five easily against Dundee. But the second goal was a great finish.”
Halliday continued, “You talk about Dessers and some of the missed chances. I think, sometimes, he’s too composed.
“He wants to take that extra touch and chop across the defender. For the second goal, he usually takes a touch. But he just guides it into the bottom corner.”
Despite a solid start to the 2024/25 season, where Dessers has scored seven goals in nine matches, some Rangers fans remain unconvinced.
They believe he can do better and criticize him for being wasteful in front of goal. There are even calls from some sections of the fanbase for his game time to be reduced in favor of new signing Hamza Igmane.
Beyond his club struggles, Dessers faces similar challenges with the Nigerian national team.
Cyriel Dessers during a Super Eagles training session. Photo | NGSuper_Eagles
He has yet to win the full trust of the Super Eagles’ coaching staff, as evidenced by his omission from the squad for the recent AFCON qualifiers, much to the surprise of many, given his hot form.
So far, Dessers has only managed six appearances for Nigeria, all in international friendlies, scoring two goals.
He now hopes his club performances this season so far will earn him a call-up for the AFCON qualifiers against Libya in October.
