Cyriel Dessers reveals Rangers history lesson on Ibrox museum tour as Walter Smith mantra still applies

The late great Walter Smith had one piece of advice for any new manager finding his feet at Ibrox. ‘Just win,’ he’d say.

Well, on Sunday Michael Beale did win. Just. And he discovered it wasn’t enough to drown out the howls of protest from a fanbase that did not enjoy watching their team being second best to Motherwell for long chunks of an Ibrox match which really should have seen the Lanarkshire head home with at least a point and maybe even all three.

The players heard it too. Cyriel Dessers scored the winning goal, even if he didn’t know much about it after Rabbi Matondo’s strike crashed off his heel and flew high past Liam Kelly. But Dessers, as any striker would, happily claimed it and although the manner of victory left so much to be desired, it did take Rangers into third place above ‘Well and keep them four points behind Celtic.

In that respect, it was job done but with the jeers still echoing around Ibrox, Dessers and his mates will return to Ibrox on Wednesday night for a Viaplay Cup quarter final against Livingston. Defeat in that one, and a chance of early season silverware lost, could have serious repercussions for Beale but Dessers is having none of that kind of chat.

The Belgian-born Nigeria international is having none of that kind of chat, though. He insists the performance that saw off Real Betis on Thursday is more in line with the Rangers he knows that the one that stumbled through the Motherwell game.

And he is adamant that the League Cup can be delivered alongside a return to form in the title race and a European run - using a team trip to the club’s new museum last week as an inspiration. Dessers said: “Listen, we are a good team. We just need some really big performances to get ourselves going