Morelos must hit the net more than the headlines

Little is known about Morelos as a person, but it doesn’t take much to notice he can be ‘ got at’

ALFREDO Morelos has hit the headlines as often as he has hit the back of the net during his Rangers career so far.

From Old Firm howlers to Chinese bids, the striker has often found himself at the centre of attention. Now, he must prove he can be central to Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox plans.

The red card the 22- year- old received at Pittodrie yesterday wasn’t quite the start to the Premiership campaign that he or his manager would have had in mind.

The contact on Scott McKenna was minimal and the decision from referee Kevin Clancy to send him off bordered on unjustifiable. It wasn’t dangerous and it wasn’t violent.

Morelos was rightly bemused at the baffling call and Rangers could look to appeal to the Scottish FA to ensure he is available for the first home league clash of the campaign against St Mirren this weekend.

Once that conversation has been completed, Gerrard may well look to have one with his star striker as well and offer words of caution and advice.

If you hadn’t tuned into the action against Aberdeen but heard that a Rangers player had been sent off for a flick out at an opponent, your money would have been on Morelos being involved.

That is just the kind of player that he is and his on- the- edge style is what has helped endear him to supporters following his move from HJK Helsinki last summer. It is a side to his game that probably can’t be coached out of him but Gerrard must hope the Colombian emerges wiser from his experience at Pittodrie yesterday.

Morelos or his manager can’t legislate for a howler of a decision from a referee but the forward could have saved himself all the hassle by not retaliating to McKenna in the first place.

Little is known about Morelos as a person and a character but it doesn’t take much to notice that he can be “got at” by defenders that could look to provoke him. Bait him often enough and eventually he will bite back.

And when you have referees of the standard they are in Scotland, Morelos can’t be giving them chances to make decisions that could see

him unfairly punished. If players are, perfectly legitimately, using sly tactics to get a reaction out of him, then Morelos has to be smarter than to allow himself to fall into the trap.

“Possibly,” Gerrard said post- match when asked if opposition players were trying to wind Morelos up. “So he needs to learn and be ready for that. I can’t prove that’s the case but two violent barges by McKenna, it seems people are out to wind him up, yeah.”

Given the performance that Rangers put in at Pittodrie, Gerrard must feel his side were more than capable of seeing off the Dons if they had a full compliment on the park, especially given how Morelos has started the season so well.

The adverse reaction to the speculation about his future in January seems to be behind him now and Morelos returned to action this summer a rejuvenated figure. He retains the strength that allows him to hassle and hold off defenders but looks leaner and sharper and has already shown his instincts in the area by netting in the Europa League qualifier with Osijek.

He is still far from the finished article but he has something about him and there is no reason why he can’t look to break through the 25- goal barrier in the Premiership this term.

Morelos remains the main striker at Ibrox and Gerrard has spoken positively about him in recent weeks. Indeed, the messages have been reciprocated and Morelos, so often a sullen and sulking figure, appears content under Gerrard’s guidance.

It is all but inevitable that Morelos will make the back pages on a regular basis once again this season as he looks to fire Rangers to success in the coming months.

The chance to work with Gerrard could undoubtedly be positive for him. The benefits could be mutually beneficial and, in that scenario, everyone will be a winner at Ibrox.