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Rangers fans shouldn't expect a glut of goals from Cyriel Dessers or Sam Lammers should the pair become teammates at Ibrox this summer.
That’s the view of one man who found the back of the net with ease during a blockbuster six-month spell at Ibrox.
Marco Negri scored an impressive 31 goals before Christmas after signing for Walter Smith’s men from Perugia in the summer of 1997 before a horror eye injury sustained while playing squash with Rangers teammate Sergio Porrini which would prove fatal to the Ibrox side’s 10-in-a-Row hopes.
Fast forward 16 years and both Negri and Porrini have offered an insight into what the supporters can expect from new signing Sam Lammers and Dessers, should a deal be struck with Cremonese for the Nigerian international.
“Lammers is a very talented player with a very good left foot, he’ll create a lot of chances,” Negri told the Rangers Review.
“He’s not a goalscorer but he can create a lot. Of course, he must improve and adapt to Scottish football as soon as possible but he’s very talented.
“Dessers is a very tough guy. He could be a good signing for the domestic game because he can fight and he can hold the ball up front.
“He can score but he’s not a natural goalscorer so he won’t score a lot of goals but he can be a good signing for Rangers.”
Porrini, who starred alongside Negri for a Rangers Legends team in Bury at the weekend to raise money for the Lee Rigby Foundation, reckons Lammers will be a hit in Govan.
“Lammers and Dessers really struggled in Italy,” he said.
“The Italian league is not easy, especially for the strikers and especially when you’re not playing for a big team.
“But they have the skill and great qualities. Lammers, especially, is a very talented player.
“I’m sure at Rangers they can show their ability. When you play with a big team, you have most of the ball and most of the possession so I think it will suit them and I think they will both do well.”
Maurice Ross and Nigel Spackman also lined up alongside the Italian pair at Gigg Lane on Saturday and both are optimistic about the season ahead under Michael Beale.
“The manager has made some wholesale changes that had to be done,” Ross commented.
“I still think there’s a bit to go but I like the age of the players the manager is signing. They’re proper signings, they look like we can keep them for three years and sell them on.
“I’ve got 100 per cent faith in Michael Beale and the squad next year.”
Spackman, who won three league titles in a row at Ibrox, says his old club must invest wisely if they are to reclaim their Premiership crown.
“You always set out to finish top and that means finishing above Celtic,” he said.
“Celtic are strong, they’ve got a good squad and a new manager who’s going to be given money so it’s going to be very difficult for Rangers.
“Michael Beale’s got to sign good players, he’s got to be given the backing of the board as much as they possibly can. We’ve lost a lot of important players so we need to hit the ground quickly. We don’t want to be in that situation where we’re trying to catch up on Celtic once again.
“It’s going to be difficult but you’ve got to keep that belief and if you sign good players and get some results the crowd will always stay with you, that’s the main thing for next season.”
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