Rangers 3-1 Kilmarnock: Three things we learned

By Alexander Cruickshanks

Rangers defeated Kilmarnock by three goals to one at Ibrox on the anniversary of the Ibrox Disaster where 66 Rangers fans lost their lives. Let’s take a look at what stood out:

Down but not out

Sima celebrates stunning volley against Kilmarnock (Image: Getty Images)

Rangers suffered a major blow at the weekend, losing 2-1 at Parkhead to their bitter rivals Celtic. This was a huge stumbling block in the title race and left Rangers eight points behind the defending champions. Speculation became rife that Rangers would have been knocked off the tracks. However, they weren’t as they were quite comfortable against Kilmarnock, despite conceding a chance early on, with Jack Butland coming to the rescue, and a Danny Armstrong penalty. They weren’t overly troubled by Derek McInnes’ side. They showed great bounce-back ability, scoring three goals including a goal of the season contender from Abdallah Sima.

Cyriel Dessers may be out of time

Dessers has failed to meet the expectations of supporters (Image: Getty Images)

Time seems to be running out for Nigerian marksman Cyriel Dessers. PhilippeClement has stated that every player will get chances under him but that they are not unlimited. And unlimited chances seem to be what Dessers will need to solidify his spot as the number one striker at Rangers. With the loan signing of Fabio Silva and heavy links to Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland, it looks like Dessers’ role in the team will be minimal, or he won’t have a role at all. Although he has shown some quality in flashes, six league goals just isn’t enough for a Rangers striker.

There may be a place for Ridvan Yilmaz

Yilmaz was awarded MOTM (Image: Getty Images)

Now we’re into the January window, rumours have been circulating around the left-back position at Rangers. Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz have both been linked with moves away, most recently, Yilmaz has been linked with Hellas Verona. However, against Kilmarnock, he turned in a Man of the Match performance playing in an inverted wing-back role. His stats from the game were impressive: He achieved one assist, created two chances, maintained a 76% pass accuracy, made nine passes into the final third, had a dribble success rate of 67%, had two touches in the opposition box, won 58% of his ground duels and made five ball recoveries. This brilliant performance has shown he can still be the starting left- back at Rangers.

SportAlexander Cruickshanks