Rangers strikers rated and ranked amid double figure challenge as candidates go beyond Dessers, Lammers and Roofe
Beale reckons several of his attacking stars can reach double figures but do the numbers back that up?
After Rangers’ 2-1 friendly win over Hamburg at Ibrox on Saturday, Michael Beale was delighted with the number of forwards he was able to get on the pitch.
The Gers boss has had a busy summer window so far. Sam Lammers arrived from Atalanta for £3.5million before the Light Blues paid Cremonese £4.5million for Cyriel Dessers. Abdallah Sima is on a season-long loan from Brighton and Beale is still trying to sign Danilo from Feyenoord. With Kemar Roofe still in the building, Rangers will have plenty of firepower going into this season.
Beale reckons three or four members of his squad can hit double figures in terms of goals - with Dessers singled out specifically as the Ibrox boss issued the challenge to his attackers. When you factor in James Tavernier’s regularity from the penalty spot and free kicks, then punters could be in for a Govan goal glut. But is the evidence there to back it up? Record Sport examines their respective goal tallies from previous seasons.
Cyriel Dessers
The Nigerian has been brought in as the new No 9 and will be expected to fill the Alfredo Morelos void in terms of goals. It wasn’t until he moved to NAC Breda from Belgium in 2016/17 that he became a regular starter up front. And he hit 22 in his first season in the Netherlands.
Dessers netted 12 in 39 appearances for Utrecht the following season. A cruciate ligament injury in 2018/19 reduced his total to just seven, but the next season he finished joint top scorer in the division with 15 for Heracles. A return to Belgium 2020 saw another seven-goal total, but he was back in scoring form for Feyenoord the following season with 21.10 in Serie A for relegated Cremonese last term was a decent effort, and the numbers show that if Dessers is fit and plays, then double figures shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Sam Lammers
Lammers played five times for PSV as a young hitman learning his trade back in 2016/17 and managed to score twice. Coupled with his strikes for the youth team, that took him to 21 for the season. Seven games the following year brought no top team goals, but 12 at youth level. A loan to Heerenveen in 2018/19 produced a very healthy 16 goals in 31 appearances. Upon returning to PSV, a serious knee injury robbed him of most of the 2019/20 campaign, but two goals in the final seven games of the season, added to one in the Champions League qualifiers at the start at least saw him score three.
Lammers joined Atalanta in 2020/21 and it was a poor one. He struggled to get regular game time despite being fit and scored just twice in 18 appearances. A loan to Frankfurt didn’t improve matters in 21/22, managing only two goals once again, this time in 24 outings and he watched from the bench as they beat Rangers on penalties in the Europa League final. A familiar pattern continued last year. Lammers was loaned to Sampdoria but again could only get himself on the scoresheet twice. He’s already off the ark for Rangers, but the hope is that history doesn't repeat itself.
Abdallah Sima
More of a winger than a striker, Sima’s first season up top for Slavia Prague was a productive one. He hit the 20 goal mark in 39 appearances, along with 8 assists. That won him his move to Brighton, but chances were limited on the English south coast. Four goals from 15 appearances wasn’t bad in the circumstances, however.
Last season at Angers was a touch disappointing, although it must be remembered Sima’s wider role. 6 goals in 37 wasn't exactly prolific, but it’s his Salvia form Rangers will be hoping to rediscover this term.
Kemar Roofe
2014/15 was Roofe’s first proper season as a regular at senior level. A loan to Oxford United from West Brom saw him bag six goals for the U’s, and coupled with 6 in the Premier reserve League, that took him to a respectable 12. The move to Oxford was made permanent in 2015/16 and Roofe found form, netting 25 times in 49 games. He made the step up to the Championship with Leeds the following year but found it tough, scoring just four in the same number of appearances as his red hot season with Oxford.
He produced better the next campaign, with 14 in 39, then 15 in 34 as Roofe started to become more consistent. That persuaded Anderlecht to buy him, but injury limited him to seven goals in 16 outings for the Belgians. Rangers then stepped in and 18 in 36 during his first year at Ibrox showed what he could do and that was with a persistent calf problem. 16 in 36 during 21/22 was another decent showing but last year was a write off, with two in six. Roofe has proven he’ll score when on the pitch, but that seems to be his and the club’s biggest battle.
Danilo
Okay so the Brazilian isn’t a Rangers player yet, but Beale is trying to make that happen. His first real chance at senior level over a full season came with FC Twente in 2020/21 and he bagged 17 in 34 games. He returned to Ajax the following season and while his time was split between the first team squad and the youths, he still managed 15 goals in 26 for both.
Danilo contributed 14 goals to Feyenoord’s title win last term, despite falling out of favour during the second half of the season. Like desserts, has shown that if he plays often enough, double figures are more than achievable.
Others
The burden can’t just fall on the strikers and forwards. Others will be expected to chip in and Tavernier's numbers speak for themselves. Todd Cantwell hit a purple patch towards the end of last season, but double figures would be a career first for him, with his previous highest total being seven. Nico Raskin only has five career goals to date, while Ianis Hagi his 14 in his last season in Romania.