Rangers fans react to what Sam Lammers did v Man Utd

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Rangers fans react to what Sam Lammers did v Man Utd
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Sam Lammers of FC Twente celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester United and FC Twente at Old Trafford on September 25, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Understandably, lot of Rangers fans are today in outrage over Sam Lammers, specifically the ex-Ibrox striker’s tekkers strike against Manchester United.

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The common notion is to gaslight, blame Rangers for mistreating this ‘talented’ player, but there are also those asking why he didn’t show that quality for Rangers.

Well we can simply rebut these by also asking why he didn’t show that quality for PSV, Atalanta, Empoli, Sampdoria or Eintracht Frankfurt either.

Were all these clubs letting the Dutchman down as well?

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No, the reality is he has only ever properly shone for two seasons in his entire career – and both of them were in the Dutch Eredisivie for midtable sides.

The first was on loan at Heerenveen before parent club PSV brought him back, only for him to crash again back at the Philips Stadium, and the second was last season on loan at Utrecht, where again amid low expectation he did well.

What do all the clubs he struggled at have in common?

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They were either top 5 league (Italy and Germany) or ‘must-win’ teams (Rangers and PSV).

Put him into a lesser-demand environment with less pressure and he shines more. Look at the size of Utrecht and Twente’s stadiums – both around 30,000 capacity or less.

Same at Heerenveen.

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Small stadium, midtable club, low expectation in a good but not top 5 league.

Twente is a bit of a different experience – they are a very decent side punching a bit above their weight in Holland, and Lammers is thriving in that environment, while it must be remembered how bad Man Utd are and how poor a goalie Onana is.

His goal there was good, but Utd are not the team they were, nowhere near. They’re midtable for goodness’ sake, and Harry Maguire was in their defence.

So let’s maybe not gaslight at Rangers for how rubbish Lammers was at Ibrox – he could have stayed another season and never shone because he couldn’t cope with the pressure.

The pressure is much less at Twente and he’s clearly enjoying his football now.

We say that’s fair enough.

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