The curious case of Youssef Chermiti in Danny Rohl’s Rangers revolution

The strangest thing about all this – Chermiti has scored just seven league goals this season. Five of them in two games. Two big games, right enough, but two games all the same.

Interestingly enough, he is actually outperforming his xG of just 5.21, despite some notable misses.

The 21-year-old ranks just 15th in the league’s strikers in that metric. When you look at his touches in the opposition box – 60 in total – he ranks down in 26th.

In 15 league games, 10 of which were starts, he went goalless. Before the 4-2 win over Hearts, he had drawn a blank in his past six games.

For all that, his impact in big games is immeasurable. Yet, pundit Michael Stewart remains unconvinced.

“He scored a hat-trick today, which is wonderful for him, but his all-round game is a little bit slack, and his touch at times is very unpredictable,” said Stewart on Sportscene.

The opinion that really matters, though, is that of his gaffer and Rohl is clearly a big fan.

“You give him belief and trust,” the head coach said through the week, when asked about his striker.

“You can imagine for Youssef, it’s tough for him. Not about the reaction [from fans], it’s more about how he feels.

“He knows he wants to score. He wants a lot for the group. He comes in a good situation. I wish that the next time he takes an extra touch and then he looks for the corner, he makes it.

“It will come, I totally believe, because I see a lot of things in him.

“It was the Celtic game when he scored, he turned the game with fantastic goals, and he can do this again. I believe, totally.”

Not a bad prediction from the 36-year-old, who has masterminded Rangers’ resurgent form.