Davis wants Prem played out Rangers midfielder hopes to finish season in future
Former Rangers striker left devastated as coronavirus has left Italy on life support
CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
STEVEN DAVIS, the Rangers midfielder, has expressed hope the current season can be played to a finish once the suspension of Scottish football has been lifted later this year and dismissed the prospect of matches taking place behind closed doors.
Davis sent supporters of the Ibrox club a goodwill message on their official website yesterday urging them to follow government guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic and “stay safe”.
However, the Northern Ireland internationalist also stated that he would like to complete the 2019/20 campaign in its entirety and in front of fans at the earliest available opportunity.
Rangers are 13 points behind Celtic in the Ladbrokes Premiership table with nine matches – including two Old Firm games – remaining and can potentially still pip their city rivals to the Scottish title. The Covid-19 outbreak isn’t expected to peak in the United Kingdom until the end of May or middle of June and there have been calls to null and void the season or declare the Parkhead club champions. However, Davis would prefer to complete the fixture list when play is able to resume – in front of full houses. “Hopefully this season can be played to a finish at the earliest but safest opportunity,” he told the Rangers website. “Rangers wouldn’t exist without its fans, therefore I personally do not believe games should be played behind closed doors.”
The 35-year-old stressed that he and his Rangers team-mates had been following training programmes given to them by Ibrox coaching staff and would be ready to perform whenever the season got back underway.
“As players we’re in constant contact with the club as things progress,” he said.
“We’ve been given specific fitness and dietary programmes to follow in the coming weeks.
“This is to enable us to be in the best physical condition possible, to be ready for the challenges of the current season being played out to an end.”
Davis added: “There is a lot of uncertainty and worry for everyone around the world right now. I know what an institution like Rangers means to our loyal fans, but football must be secondary right now and it’s vital we follow the advice of the government to get this virus under control.
“Football and sport in general play a massive role for the health and wellbeing for millions around the world, both physically and mentally, and this virus is impacting everyone in all aspects of life.”
LIKE footballers and supporters all over the world, Marco Negri is looking forward to a time when the coronavirus pandemic has passed, life has returned to normal and matches can be both played and attended once again.
“Hopefully we can come back and cheer for the Rangers and do whatever else we were doing before this happened in a month, a couple of months, whenever,” the former Ibrox striker said yesterday.
Yet, having witnessed first hand the devastation caused by Covid-19 in his native
Italy in recent weeks, Negri appreciates the indefinite shutdown of the game he loves and a temporary loss of liberty are small sacrifices to make.
His homeland has been the country worst affected by the outbreak on the planet. Over 16 million people have been placed in enforced quarantine in their homes by the government this month in a desperate attempt to halt its spread. But the death toll rose above the 6,000 mark earlier this week.
The indiscriminate loss of life and untold suffering which he has witnessed in harrowing television news reports every day has driven home to
Negri that being confined to his house with his wife and teenage daughter is both necessary and important.
He understands that everything possible must be done if the deadly coronavirus is to be brought under control and supports the radical measures wholeheartedly.
“The situation is very tough,” he said. “We had 750 deaths yesterday in Italy. That is a big, big number. I live in Bologna in the north of Italy around an hour from Milan, which is a red zone. Every day we have five to 10 deaths here.
“We watch the TV. In Bergamo and Brescia close to Milan we don’t have any more places in the cemeteries to put all the dead. The crematoriums can’t cope.
The military have taken bodies away to burn them.
“Another very, very sad thing is that if your mother or father or your grandmother or your grandfather is sick in hospital on machines to help them breathe you can’t leave your home to comfort or speak to them.
“We have thousands of doctors and nurses and pharmacists who have dedicated their lives to saving other people. A lot of them have been infected, a lot of them have died. This is happening in Italy. I really hope it doesn’t happen in your country.”
Negri continued: “There are a lot of restrictions here. We can only go out for food for an hour a day and only
BILLY DODDS believes Alfredo Morelos should be axed by Rangers – as he is costing the club silverware.
The Govan side lost to
Celtic in the Betfred Cup final, were knocked out of the Scottish Cup at the quarterfinal stage, and face an uphill battle in Europe after going down 3-1 to Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash.
Rangers also trail their rivals by 13 points in the race for the Premiership crown as the Govan side hope to continue their quest for their first piece of major silverware in nine years if and when football returns after the coronavirus shutdown.
Morelos has scored just once in his last 12 matches and Rangers hero Dodds believes the Colombian must shoulder the brunt of blame alongside his skipper for their side’s failings this term.
On his fellow striker, Dodds – who scored 21 goals in 65 appearances for the Ibrox side – said: “I think Rangers have to make a definite decision with Alfredo Morelos once they get this season over with. If you are going to try and catch Celtic and that is your ambition, Morelos is a key player but there are certain games where he gets suspended and they can cost you.
“People might disagree and say ‘he scores all those goals’, but look at Edouard, you don’t see him getting suspended. It is still continuous with Morelos and that is the biggest problem. He either gets suspended then he doesn’t turn up. That is costing you the title I don’t care what he’s doing in between because these games that Rangers need him most he is not there.
“It has cost them the Scottish Cup as well, because he didn’t come back in time for that one. If that keeps on getting thrown in continually as it has been with Morelos, then Rangers are not going to catch Celtic. Another thing that I’ve not chucked in he’s totally lost his form - since that Celtic game that he dived and was suspended he’s totally lost it.
“Steven Gerrard might totally disagree with me but that is where I’m at with Alfredo Morelos especially.”
Our record would stand up to any club