Watching Rangers v Hibs, I came away thinking the same thing a lot of supporters probably did: Chermiti isn’t the finished article, but there’s a player there if we stop writing him off every time a move doesn’t come off.
He had a few really tidy moments that showed he’s not just filling a shirt. The control on the touchline and that wee back-heel in particular was proper quality, the kind of touch that tells you he’s comfortable with the ball. And it wasn’t only that. His lay-offs were generally sensible, he tried to link play, and he didn’t hide when Rangers needed a focal point.
Small details matter for a young striker
With a young forward, it’s often the simple bits you look for first. Is he taking the ball under pressure? Is he bringing midfielders into it? Is he supporting the next pass rather than admiring it? On that front, he was okay. Not perfect, and not dominating, but involved.
And that’s the thing. Folk want strikers to be all end product, all the time, but if the team’s asking him to play with his back to goal, connect the play, and be an option for runners, then you’ve got to judge him on that as well. There were spells where his hold-up and short layoffs helped Rangers get up the pitch and get bodies around him.
Context: he was the focal point for a reason
He didn’t exactly walk into a settled, perfect situation either. The way I see it, he played because Miovski was injured, and there’s still that debate some supporters have about whether Danilo is a proper number 9. So Chermiti ended up as the main reference point in the middle. That’s a lot to carry when you’re still learning the level and the demands.
No one’s claiming he was brilliant, but it’s fair to say he’s improving under Danny Röhl. The encouraging bit is the intent: he’s trying to knit moves together and bring others into the game rather than just chasing lost causes.
Support the player, back the run
What gets me is the cheap, lazy digs at our own players. Criticism is part of football, fine, but there’s a difference between analysing and just piling in because it’s the easiest thing to do after a match.
The fee wasn’t disclosed, so nobody truly knows what Rangers paid for him anyway. What we do know is he’s on a three-year deal, and until the club decides otherwise, he’s a Rangers player. So we either get behind him, or we spend the season moaning at a young lad for not being something he’s not yet.
And while we’re at it, there’s positives to cling to. An eight-game unbeaten league run under Röhl isn’t nothing. If the team’s moving in the right direction, it makes even more sense to give developing players the breathing space to grow into it.
Related Articles
About Rangers News Views
Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
