Glasgow Rangers failed to extend their winning run to five matches as Aberdeen came away from Ibrox with a 3-1 victory which further piles the pressure on Michael Beale.
The 43-year-old had led the Gers to four wins from their previous four matches following the international break, conceding zero goals during that run, yet the Dons made the most of their chances and the result currently leaves the club seven points behind Celtic in the Premiership table.
The Ibrox side missed a few glaring chances in the first half and once Aberdeen got a foothold in the game, Beale couldn’t spur his side on to secure a positive result.
Scott Wright even received a red card and although Abdallah Sima netted, the away team secured the three points with a late goal and a player who impressed in midweek failed to build upon his display – Ridvan Yilmaz.
How did Ridvan Yilmaz play vs Aberdeen?
Having scored his first goal for the club against Livingston in the League Cup on Wednesday evening, the defender was looking to stamp his authority on the left-back spot.
He only lasted 45 minutes however and during that period, he managed to lose possession 12 times while delivering only two accurate crosses from eight attempts and completed just 24 accurate passes.
It wasn’t the performance that he would’ve been looking to deliver and Borna Barisic replaced him at half-time. The young Turk is still adapting to the Scottish game, but he will need to be more consistent going forward.
As poor as Yilmaz was, Cyriel Dessers put in yet another disappointing showing for the Gers, and he is certainly struggling to live up to expectations since his summer move.
Did Cyriel Dessers score against Aberdeen?
The striker should have found the back of the net against the Dons, missing two big chances throughout his 84 minutes on the pitch and Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie felt he should have gotten his name on the scoresheet.
He said: “Early chance from Dessers moving off the shoulder but he can't hit the target – the forward should do better there. Rangers with control of the first few minutes. Lammers noticeably more central from the start.”
The forward only completed nine passes when he was on the pitch along with winning just one ground duel from seven attempted, suggesting he struggled to cope with the physicality of the Aberdeen back line.
Dessers also failed to properly get involved in the game, taking only 25 touches before being substituted in the 84th minute for youngster Zak Lovelace, and Beale should perhaps look to utilise some more of the young talent in the first team.
Across 12 games for the Light Blues, Dessers has scored only three goals, and judging by his performance this afternoon, he may struggle to score over ten goals throughout the entire season.
There were very few positives to take from the defeat, but Beale must surely reassess his attacking options as soon as possible and put the summer signing on the bench for the next match.