A major reason that Rangers could not deliver once again against Celtic at Ibrox was that Danny Rohl’s cheat code did not work this time. As Rangers fans have noticed in recent times, there has been a cheat code used by Danny Rohl to get results against Celtic and Hearts. That cheat code, of course, is called Youssef Chermiti, or as some are calling him, Lionel Chermiti, or as we would call him, Youssef Messi.
Rohl’s cheat code finally fails
Either way, the Portuguese striker, who would flop against the dismal teams in the SPL like Livingston and others, somehow turns into the Argentinian legend in the big matches to produce titanic huge performances. That has been Danny Rohl’s cheat code. The manager has managed to get out of jail quite a few times with results thanks to the Portuguese striker somehow delivering miracle performances and astonishing goals.
This is what we were asking for, for Rohl, from Chermiti, against Celtic in the cup. We suggested that this is what Rohl would need, his cheat code. But of course this was the first time in a big one, since Parkhead, that Chermiti has not delivered. This was back to the Livingston Chermiti. This was back to the one who could not score in a month of Sundays.
The real Chermiti returns
This was back to the one who has delivered only in three matches since joining in well over 30 appearances. 9 goals in 32. This was very much back to the criminal Chermiti. He had plenty of chances. He even had quite a few open goals. But he could not convert this time.
The cheat code that Rohl was relying on did not work. That was one of the many reasons Rohl was up the tunnel immediately after full time. Chermiti is an absolutely honking striker. We will never change our mind on that one. We have completely and totally stuck roots to that view that a guy who is a complete anomaly in some matches, three, is overall a ghastly waste of £11M.
His stats for the season are not good. They all come in those three matches. Celtic at Parkhead, Celtic at Ibrox, and of course Hearts at Ibrox. Those three anomalies had Chermiti looking like the Cherminator. But against Celtic in the cup, the old proper Chermiti was alive and well. That one is hopeless. It is the majority, about 95%, of what he actually is.
A failing £20M front line
Either way, he was not able to deliver against Celtic. The cheat code was absent. Rangers were absolutely dire as a result. We are not quite sure where we can go with Chermiti. He will not deliver for the majority of his performances, but he is an example of Rangers’ absolute desperation up front.
We have never seen a more expensive yet underperforming front line in Rangers SPL history. It is remarkable to see how poor a £20M front line actually is. It is £5M now Miovski, £11M Chermiti, and of course £5M Ryan Naderi.
It is a ghastly waste of cash. It simply is not worth that kind of money. The £21M, of course, used to be its market value. But if you check the market value on Transfermarkt, which is a very credible site for statistics and other information, Chermiti’s value has crashed well below the amount we paid.
Ryan Naderi was £1M on that site before Rangers paid the ridiculous money. Miovski was never close to £5M. But that is what we have paid for that lot up front. £20M.
And look at the result. How poor. Utterly poor.
But nevertheless it is Chermiti who is the most expensive and arguably even the worst. He could not deliver Youssef Messi, alas. Consequently there was no cheat code for Rohl this time.