Surprise for Rangers as Sam Lammers returns

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Surprise for Rangers as Sam Lammers returns
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Todd Cantwell of Rangers celebrates with teammate Sam Lammers after scoring the team's second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 match between Rangers FC and AC Sparta Praha at Ibrox Stadium on November 09, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Rangers fans were in for a surprise today with Dutch striker Sam Lammer in the starting lineup for the B team’s hosting of Championship giants’ Leeds own B Team, which is making Ibrox Noise wonder if Philippe Clement is starting to consider a second chance for the dismal Rangers flop.

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Rangers of course have minimal striking depth up front, with barely-fit Danilo and inconsistent Cyriel Dessers the only options the club actually has, given new signing Hamza Igamane has already been dismissed by the manager as a project player who won’t be ready for months.

Lammers lasted the first half for Rangers before being withdrawn in the loss to the Elland Road giants, with accusations that both his place in the team and his subbing would both hurt any value he has – this is false because he has a clear market who want him for sure, but his salary remains the massive problem.

As for Rangers, well the bottom line is the club has no striker options aside Dessers, who himself has opened the door to a Rangers exit via both a transfer request earlier in the window plus a failure to rule a departure out (despite claiming he’s happy at Rangers) and Danilo, who is nowhere near match fit yet.

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Which means, ridiculously, as things stand, Rangers’ attacking trio going into the new season is the same one Michael Beale signed:

Lammers, Danilo, Dessers.

Of course Lammers is training with the kids these days, but Rangers’ abysmal failure thus far to find a quality striker within the (limited) budget Rangers have to invest in someone is massively holding proceedings up.

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Does this mean a reprieve for the much-maligned hitman?

If he could produce his Utrecht form at Rangers then few Rangers supporters would be unhappy with that, but of course Lammers’ issues are mental.

He’s always shone with midtable Dutch teams with low expectations – his record at that level (Heerenveen and Utrecht) speaks for itself.

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Put him in a better league, like Italy or Germany, or with a big club like Rangers or PSV and he crumbles.

At the top league level he can’t cope, he’s just not good enough or mentally strong enough to handle that level of opponent regularly, and at a big club like Rangers or PSV he can’t handle the pressure of ‘must win’.

Which is why a midtable Dutch side is perfect for him.

Rangers? Well, he’d have to change the habit of a lifetime to thrive at this club, and we can’t see that happening.

The problem is that without him, Rangers really only have Dessers to rely upon.

Not totally ideal is it?

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