A lot of Rangers fans will be feeling quite pleased with themselves after it emerged that Ryan Kent’s move to Fenerbahce is quickly turning into a disaster, with the ex-Ibrox winger reduced to a fringe role after what looked initially a fairly promising start in Turkey, while fellow ex-Ranger Alfredo Morelos’ time at Santos is already a shambles.
The flanker, 26, featured in the Super Lig side’s first four matches after his move, three friendlies and a Conference League match, managing a goal and an assist, but it’s quickly gone downhill thereafter, despite an impressive domestic league debut v Gaziantep.
Following a bright performance in that one, Kent hasn’t started a match since, playing just 47 minutes in 6 matches.
And in Brazil, Alfie got a debut in a humping, then Santos immediately fired their manager.
So what are the implications – the big one, clearly, for these two, is the grass not only isn’t greener on the other side, but both of their attitudes weren’t good enough, and it’s being exposed now.
While we still feel Kent was harshly treated by Rangers fans in the end, clearly his new manager isn’t happy with him and has consigned him to the bench with some reports about attitude on his part being a big problem. He has very quickly sunk in Turkey, which in fairness was a bizarre league to go to.
And Alfie? Same deal – his attitude stunk at the end, he took months to find a new club, and here we are, he gets the back end of nowhere and they sack their manager seconds into his signing for them.
The grass absolutely isn’t greener.
Things are fractionally better for Croat ex-Ger Antonio Colak though – he netted again for Parma, a stormer in a drubbing, but he’s still really only a fringe man and hasn’t started a single match for them. But we feel his time will come.
Long story short, two of these men were desperate to leave, and have crashed and burned, one wanted to stay but isn’t getting the rub of the green much in his new club either.
Filip Helander? Landed on his feet at Odense. He’s doing just fine. Debuted in a 5-0 win in Denmark and lasted 79 minutes.
So for the two who wanted away, life in football is now sucking. For the two who didn’t, life is alright.
Football’s a funny old game.