Rangers’ last Dutch striker was one of the best I ever played with.
And if Sam Lammers is HALF the player Michael Mols was then Michael Beale will have struck gold. After Lammers was unveiled as the club’s latest signing last week, it got me thinking about my old strike partner. As a footballer, Michael was simply out of this world. I wasn’t at the club when he signed. But in my first season he came back from injury and we played up front together a lot. I had already watched him as a Rangers fan.
His level of play before that fateful night against Bayern Munich, when he damaged his knee, was incredible. Who can forget that turn? Wow. The Mols Turn. I’d never seen anything like it before. It was electric. I had seen it on TV then, a year later, I was actually working with him. So I decided I wanted that turn in MY game.
I watched him and tried to learn it. You’ll actually have seen me do it in games, years later. My goal for Scotland against England at Wembley in 2013 was scored with a Mols Turn.
That’s no joke. I remember after I signed for Rangers, I was warming up before a Scotland Under-21 game. I was actually trying to go through the turn, step by step. The way Michael had mastered it was sensational. Listen, he had everything as a striker. He was strong as an ox, could use his left or right foot and was rapid quick.
He could hold up the ball, play long or he could dribble. There wasn’t a weakness in his game. If it wasn’t for the injury, he wouldn’t have lasted too long at Rangers. It was a different time back then.
Rangers were competing with top English clubs financially and the Premier League wasn’t as rich as it is now. But going down south would still have been a big move. And Michael would have gone to Manchester United or Liverpool if he’d stayed fit.
He was one of the best strikers around at that time. When he got back from injury, he had maybe lost a yard. You’re talking about 23 years ago. So, in terms of operations and the medical side of it, things have moved on with that type of injury. But he was still unbelievably good when he returned. I learned a lot from him because he was an outstanding player.
So Lammers has a lot to live up to. And let’s be brutally honest, his goalscoring record so far doesn’t stand up. It’s nothing to write home about. He has scored six goals in three seasons, which isn’t great. There’s no getting away from it. He hasn’t had a lot of starts but that’s also a concern. Why is that? Ultimately, when you’ve had 34 appearances in a season and scored two goals, it’s not good enough.
But here’s the thing. I trust Beale. I trust the work he has done so far at Rangers. He has made two terrific signings already in Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin. For me, if Lammers has been signed for more than £3million he should be starting for Rangers. But I also believe there will be another striker coming in. There’s no doubt it’s a priority position for the club.
So maybe Lammers will have to fight for his place with one or two others. When you look at his stats and numbers, I understand Rangers fans’ doubts. I’m asking the same questions as they are.
He has been at his most prolific in the Dutch league with Heerenveen but players have scored in Holland then struggled in other countries. So I get why Rangers supporters are asking, why wasn’t he starting at Sampdoria, Empoli or Eintracht Frankfurt?
But I would urge them to have faith in Michael. If he feels Lammers can have a positive impact on this Rangers team, trust him.
And until I see Lammers in the flesh at Ibrox, I’ll reserve judgment on whether he’s going to be up to the job. Of course, you can get strikers who don’t get a lot of goals but add real value to the team. It’s possible.
But let’s be clear, Rangers need a goalscorer.
The club’s main striker this season has to get 20 goals. That’s non-negotiable, whoever it is. Alfredo Morelos’ goals have to be replaced.
Also, how long can James Tavernier continue to post the numbers he does from full-back?
He’s a freak of nature in that regard. At Rangers last season, the right-back was the top scorer. I’m sorry but that can’t happen. As good as it is for Tav, it’s a damning indictment of the team.
A defender is carrying the can in terms of goalscoring. As a striker, that wouldn’t sit right with me. I’d feel like I needed to be the one getting the goals. If Tav is getting 15, Lammers or any other striker who comes in must be better than that.
He might bring more than just goals, if you look at how he plays. But Lammers still has to score more than he has done in the last three years. He will definitely get chances at Ibrox. Something Michael lamented towards the end of last season was their conversion rate. That has to be better this year.
So for the Dutchman to be a proper No.9 for Rangers, his levels must go up. If that happens he has a chance of emulating my old pal Mols at Ibrox.
