Rangers striker axe – fair or not?

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Rangers striker axe – fair or not?


We can’t say we’re totally shocked, and frankly we’re barely that interested either, but equally, Alfredo Morelos’ axing from the Colombian squad for this summer’s Copa America has a big downside – it could affect his value.

Despite Coffee Men manager Carlos Queiroz naming over 10 attacking players in his preliminary squad, Rangers’ star man was not among them, and while many would say he’s probably brought it on himself (and we’ll go into why later in this piece) nevertheless Rangers want to secure as big a kitty for him this summer as possible, and his absence from the national team’s preliminary squad is as big a cuss on him as he’ll get.

This isn’t even their final squad – it’s their draft proposal, which will get thinned down after initial analysis to a confirmed slimline group that takes on the Americas. And Morelos couldn’t even get in that group.

So… why? He’s sitting there as Scotland’s top scorer and he has an impressive number of assists – why would Queiroz exclude him?

Well, there’s his discipline problems, obviously. Morelos is a hothead, a foolish and immature hothead on the pitch who has cost his team dearly on many, many occasions. That kind of petulance will not go ignored by the national manager.

Then there’s the team player thing. For all his assists, and for all the work Morelos does deeper in the pitch, he turns into a self-centred baby in the box who forgets everyone else. Sure, you can argue most strikers do, and even the great Super Ally was like that too – but he wasn’t half as wasteful, and he absolutely delivered on all the big occasions as well. And that discipline issue is a big team player problem too – what’s the point of playing for your team mates when you then cost them by being an idiot and getting yourself sent off again?

But… for all of this, these aren’t, for us, the main reason he was left out. The simple reality is his three caps for Colombia have been underwhelming at best. He just hasn’t impressed overall. His debut was awful, his second appearance marginally better then his third was a bit nothing and he got hooked at half time.

And if you can’t do it in the big occasions at Ibrox, can you do it for your country on the big stage like an international championship?

We get this article probably sounds excessively hate-filled – we really do not hate Morelos. But the team’s performance in his absence has been eye-opening and we can honestly say the circus around the Colombian, much of which is self-inflicted, leaves us cold now.

And we could do without it and happily take the money in its place.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. You are completely forgetting Ally McCoists first few seasons at Rangers when he was very wasteful indeed, even leading to the Govan singing to him …we all remember'. McCoist became an all round better footballer and finisher during the late eighties and improved every year.
    This boy will get better and hopefully will grow up as well. At this age, he is already a better finisher of the ball on the deck and in the air than McCoist was at the same age.
    If no-one comes in for him with a realistic bid, then good. We keep him. He has won us many points and he is hated in Scotland because of that. Cut out the petulance and we would have a striker who wins you twenty games per season.
    Whats not to like about that?

    • Bit harsh on Ally – you're arguing he was wasteful during a time when Rangers were especially poor. We couldn't even get the best out of Coop during the early 80s. Pretty sure we were 4th on McCoist's first season? Even this team presently, while not vintage Rangers, is better than that. And that team had Jardine and DJ among others. Nah, we're not holding that one against Ally.

  2. His petulant and pathetic behaviour this season has been embarrassing,i will be glad to see the back of him,Gerrard must be sick of him as well,get £15 million and use it to buy 3 or 4 players.

  3. Agree, harsh but fair. Our season could have looked a whole lot better, if it wasn't for Alfredo's petulance. I feel the good ship Rangers FC is in steadier hands with Jermain up front. An old hand, who doesn't wind-up our refs and does not behave in an immature manner. Jermain is doing what he was brought in to do. With Morelos, you never know what you're going to get. I've no doubt he'll be a fantastic striker, when he matures. But the Columbian Manager is obviously concerned Morelos has a strop and costs them, like he has, us.

  4. As IN has said his value has come down now due to his behaviour and now ditched from the international scene. Defoe now has the number 9 shirt and Alfie ain't getting it back. Cut our losses on what we could have got for him. Can only see bids coming in up 8 to 10 million quid for him he blew the 15 million quid + price tag with his petulance. Only my opinion.

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