RACISM STORM
Hearts investigate claims their fans abused Morelos
HEARTS last night vowed to root out the racists after opening an investigation into allegations that Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos was abused during yesterday’s 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.
The Colombian striker was allegedly targeted by punters during goal celebrations following his equaliser.
In a week when the ugly issue of racial abuse has been thrust firmly back into the headlines, the accusations drag Scottish football centre stage.
Hearts issued a statement declaring: ‘The club is aware of the incident in question and is currently investigating it.
‘It goes without saying that Heart of Midlothian Football Club utterly condemns any form of racism — and any individuals found guilty of such an offence will face an indefinite ban from Tynecastle Park.’
The threat of lifetime bans notwithstanding, another accusation of vile racist behaviour against Hearts fans will infuriate
OPPORTUNITY missed, ground conceded. It is no wonder Steven Gerrard was displeased, to say the least. The Rangers manager knew that drawing 1-1 against Hearts, a 15th goal of the season from Alfredo Morelos cancelling out Ryo Meshino’s early strike, represents a chance gone.
They had an opportunity to climb back ahead of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race.
But Gerrard was left questioning the ‘mentality’ of his players after they had been outworked and unnerved by a Hearts side suddenly full of fighting spirit again.
Dragged into what Gerrard called a ‘war’ by one-man armoured infantry division Uche Ikpeazu, they could not find a way through the tank traps laid by Craig Levein.
‘We didn’t start the game well enough,’ said the Rangers manager. ‘I thought we were poor in the early exchanges and were lucky not to be 2-0 down.
‘I said before the game that you need to come to a place like this with the right focus and mentality, to fight and compete, to earn the right. Hearts are not going to give it to you, especially where they are in the table.
‘Craig was always going to have them fired up to try and make it a physical encounter. His players were terrific for him today. They maxed out and gave him everything they’ve got.
‘We didn’t start competing until we were a goal down and, at that stage, we could have been two down.’
Invited to pinpoint the reason for his team’s sluggish start, Gerrard said: ‘It’s about mentality. It’s that realisation of the opportunity you’ve got to win a match.
‘With all respect to Hearts, we should be fired up more than that, we should be ready to compete, we should be coming out of the blocks more focused than that.
‘That’s the disappointing thing about today. To be successful, we have to come to places like this and, if we’re not there from an attacking sense, still win these games 1-0 by competing and grinding, winning ugly.
‘But if you start games like we did today, you are going to have big problems. I think collectively, as a team, we haven’t started in the right frame of mind. Some of that responsibility is down to me.’
On a day marred by reports of Morelos being racially abused, with an investigation by Hearts now underway, there was a distinct lack of subtlety about the football on display.
In truth, Ikpeazu’s relentless tormenting of the Rangers defence probably stands out as the dominant theme.
‘We prepared for it,’ said Gerrard. ‘We’ve had some good training time. We told the players what to expect. We knew it was going to be played direct into him.
‘We knew he was going to try to have a wrestle and a war. And I think we stood up to a lot of it. But sometimes the big guy is unplayable. He’s a right handful.’
Hearts came flying out of the blocks, Ikpeazu sending a header off the bar from a Sean Clare cross — with keeper Allan McGregor well beaten — after just 90 seconds.
Levein’s men took the lead with just six minutes gone. Rangers captain James Tavernier seemed to hesitate as Ikpeazu — who else? — flicked the ball on for Jake Mulraney, who saw his shot blocked well by McGregor.
As the rebound floated to the edge of the box, though, Meshino executed a perfectly-controlled volley that arced gracefully into the empty net.
Rangers took some time to recover from that early loss, with Morelos’ equaliser six minutes before the break coming as some relief to visiting fans.
Borna Barisic’s corner from the left was flicked on by Nikola Katic and, as he so often is, Morelos found himself perfectly placed to control the ball and beat the keeper at his far post.
The fiery forward celebrated his 15th of the season with a knee slide and blown kisses right in front of the Hearts support. This was apparently when Morelos found himself on the receiving end of inexcusable abuse.
The second half was notable for its lack of goalmouth action, although Davis came close to putting Rangers ahead just before the hour mark, volleying a dropping ball towards goal from all of 20 yards, a deflection taking it behind for a corner. The first in a series that had Hearts scrambling to clear their lines.
There were individual battles, running vendettas and sub-plots aplenty going on all over the pitch as this game rumbled past the 60 and then 70-minute marks.
Referee Kevin Clancy was just about keeping a lid on tensions, sometimes by simply waving play on when confronted by two players fouling each other with a distinct lack of subtlety.
As a football contest, it was crying out for a touch of quality. Something less brutal than merely shelling the ball on top of the opposition defence and hoping to catch a break.
The entire Rangers bench were off their feet claiming for a penalty when Scott Arfield went down under a challenge from Aaron Hickey with 15 minutes remaining, although Gerrard dismissed his own appeal after the game, noting: ‘I think we are clutching at straws if we are looking to that.’
He knew that a poor start, rather than any missed call, had done for his team. Leaving them looking back up at the leaders. Knowing that better will be required if they’re to retake the summit for any duration.
‘I know, when this team is tuned in, they can compete,’ he said. ‘They can win big matches on the road. They can.
‘That’s the reason I’m frustrated now as I don’t think I’ve seen that too much, of late, in the way we’ve started games.
‘But if we’re to go to Ross County and Pittodrie and Livingston in the coming weeks, we’re going to have to start those games a lot better. We’re going to have to compete and fight — and rely on our game changers to do better.
‘If we start like that against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday night, yes, we could be in trouble. Big trouble.’
HEARTS (4-2-3-1): Pereira 7; Hickey 6, Smith 7, Berra 6, White 5 (Brandon 49); Whelan 6, Bozanic 6; Clare 6, Meshino 6 (MacLean 72), Mulraney 6 (Irving 80); Ikpeazu 7. Subs not used: Doyle, Dikamona, Keena, Henderson. Booked: White, Whelan, Clare, MacLean. RANGERS (4-3-3): McGregor 6; Tavernier 5, Goldson 6, Katic 6, Barisic 6; Kamara 5, Davis 6, Aribo 6; Arfield 5 (Stewart 75), Morelos 7 (Defoe 81), Ojo 6 (Kent 61). Subs not used: Foderingham, Helander, Halliday, Polster. Booked: McGregor, Tavernier, Katic, Morelos. Man of the match: Uche Ikpeazu. Referee: Kevin Clancy. Attendance: 17,573.
15 The number of goals scored this season by Rangers’ Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos. He has made 20 appearances