Rangers icon Kenny Miller has doubted the signing of Sam Lammers from Atalanta earlier this month - though he backs Michael Beale to have made the right decision.
The Light Blues, whilst trophy-less last season, are in as good a shape as they have been for quite some time under Beale, winning almost every domestic clash after the World Cup break under his guidance - though they did fall short to Celtic twice on the Hampden Park turf in both cup competitions.
Nonetheless, this is Beale's first proper pre-season, and it represents a time where he can wipe the slate clean to make his own signings. With four already, the only one who has cost money is Dutchman, Sam Lammers. The target man cost Rangers £3.5million; and whilst he has a poor goalscoring record in recent years, he remains a decent capture considering Atalanta paid £9m for him just three seasons ago. But Miller is not convinced, and whilst he hopes he is proved wrong, he has backed break to get the best out of Lammers.
He wrote in the Daily Record: "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.
"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."
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