New data analysis sheds light on key Rangers man

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New data analysis sheds light on key Rangers man
He's in there.... (Photo by JEROEN PUTMANS/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the most interesting aspects of whoscored.com’s team of the month for November isn’t about the fact Rangers make up 8 players of the possible XI, but that certain players didn’t in fact get in the final standings.

There was no place for Borna Barisic, Leon Balogun, Glen Kamara (just the one sub appearance last month so understandable) or, significantly, Alfredo Morelos.

It’s the latter that we’re most interested in.

We did a piece recently about what he’s contributing to the team, and that many of his defenders have used the ‘team player’ clause to support his new role.

But the objective data tells a different story.

That Morelos, despite being apparently more of a team player, was unable to get into November’s team of the month while Defoe did could gives some indication that the Colombian really does save his best displays for European competition.

Remember of course team play stats, such as link up, fouls won and distance run are the things which excel here, and Scotty Arfield, superb at these, comfortably gets into this team.

Also remember, this is domestic only, and we’ve long-suggested the ex-HJK striker downs tools domestically – we showed you that was the case v Aberdeen, with his having much less of the ball and less mobility than he showed only a few days later v Benfica.

And the ratings system seems to back that up.

It fares a little better for the Colombian in the domestic POTY so far. While Tavernier tops that, Morelos is a decent 22nd for the whole league, scoring 7.07 so far. So it’s not like he’s a rotten player now. He also scores, objectively speaking, a superior 7.12 in the Europa League, albeit that’s joint with Kemar Roofe and is behind Leon Balogun who is Rangers’ top rated player at that level.

Either way though, Morelos’ absence from objective data-based ratings of November’s team of the month probably demonstrates the reality of his overall contribution at that level.

Despite what his biggest backers may want to think.

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