‘Don’t compare Morelos with Mccoist until he wins trophy’
● Striker closes in on Ibrox great’s Euro record but Gerrard plays down similarity
Steven Gerrard has heap ed praise on Alfredo Morelos for his latest Europa League heroics for Rangers but insists he can’t be compared to the Ibrox club’s all-time leading scorer Ally Mccoist.
Morelos came off the bench to net twice in Rangers’ 5-0 second qualifying round win over Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar, taking his tally of goals in the tournament to 20 over the past three seasons.
That leaves him just one behind Mccoist’s record haul of 21 European goals for the club but Rangers manager Gerrard doesn’t believe the Colombian can be afforded similar status in the club’s history until he helps them win silverware.
“He’s a top striker, an incredible finisher,” said Gerrard of Morelos, who followed up a predator y close range tap -in with a cute chipped finish in R angers’ rout of their semiprofessional opponents.
“You saw it especially with his second goal, but the first goal is just as good for me because he attacks the goal frame.
“I’ m sure Ally McCoist watching that will be very happy. But there’s a big difference between Alfredo Morelos and Ally Mccoist. Ally Mccoist won trophies here, he was successful here. So we can’t speak about those two players in the same breath, not yet.”
Gerrard had mixed feelings about his team’ s display at the Victoria Stadium, where James Ta vernier, Con nor Goldson and Jermain Defoe were also on target as R angers booked a trip to face Dutch side Willem I I in the third qualifying round next Thursday. “It was professional, job done,” Gerrard told R angers TV. “That was the plan coming here, we wanted to get a win and a clean sheet and move on to the next fixture because the next couple of weeks are going to be a lot more important and a lot more difficult.
“So it was about getting through. We scored five good goals, kept a clean sheet and really didn’t get out of first gear.
“I don’t think it was a good performance. We made it complicated for the majority of it. But we’ll take a lot of positives in terms of getting people minutes – Jermain Defoe gets a goal, Buff (Morelos) gets a couple. I thought the goals were outstanding.
“It was nice to have the luxury to give people the opportunity to play. Young Nathan Patterson got another run-out, it’s good experience for him.
“S o we’ll take the positives and move on but the all-round performance, we didn’t get out of first gear.”
Rangers lost Kemar Roofe to a leg muscle injury before halftime but Gerrard is optimistic the forward does not face a lengthy lay-off.
“There is an issue but we are hoping it’s not a big one,” said Gerrard. “He said he could feel a bit of tightness so hopefully he’s done the sensible thing and told us before it’s got worse. We’ll have a look at it in the next day or so but hopefully, fingers crossed, he should be OK.”
R angers eased into the third qualifying round of the Europa League as Alfred oM ore los continued his love affair with the competition.
The Colombian striker scored 14 times in the Ibrox club’ s run to the last 16 last season and, while his future remains the subject of intense speculation during the current transfer window, he continues to underline the value of his predator y instincts to Steven Gerrard’s side.
Rangers were already 2-0 up through goals by James Tavernier and Connor Goldson when More lo sent er ed the fray as a half-time substitute against Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar. He duly plundered a double, either side of a goal by fellow replacement Jermain Defoe, as R angers secured a trip to the Netherlands to face Willem II in the next round next week.
G err a rd felt comfortable enough to make six changes to the star ting line -up from Saturday’ s 4-0 Premier ship win over Dundee United, albeit two of them were enforced by the injuries sustained in that contest by Ryan Jack and Brandon Barker.
That meant a rare outing for Greg Stewart, who made his first start for Rangers since their tame Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Hearts at Tynecastle back in February.
There was little prospect of elimination from another knock out tournament on this occasion, although there was a nearly remind er of why G err a rd, pictured, had warned so vigorously against even the hint of complacency.
With less than three min - utes on the clock, Lee Casciaro was given more time and space in the penalty area than Gerrard would have expected from his normally watertight defence. But them an who famously scored the winner against Celtic in the first leg of a Champions League qualifier four years ago sent a decent headed opportunity well over the top of Allan Mcgregor’s crossbar.
Rangers quickly secured the expected level of control over proceedings and a better contact by Cedric Itten, as the Swiss striker rose to meet a Borna Barisic free-kick from the right, might have given the visitors the lead in the 12th minute.
It ten then turned provider when he collected a neat through ball from Scott Arfield and drilled in a low cross from the right which Red Imps goalkeeper Kyle Goldwin did well to get to just ahead of Kemar Roofe.
The tempo of Rangers’ play was slower than they would have liked at times, a combination of the sticky artificial pitch and the congested defensive set-up deployed by their hosts.
But before any frustration could creep into their work, Rangers made the breakthrough in the 21st minute.
Red Imps captain Roy Chipolina was penalised for a clumsy challenge on Ianis Hag ion the edge of the penalty area. Skipper Ta vernier pulled rank to take the free - kick and his confidence was vindicated as he curled a brilliant effort over the defensive wall and high into Goldwin’s top left-hand corner.
There was another injury concern for G err a rd when Roofe trudged off before halftime. He was replaced by teenage right-back Nathan Patterson with Tavernier pushing further forward.
Rangers continued to probe patiently for a second goal before the break and Arfield was unlucky to see a 20 -yard strike deflected just wide.
They finally doubled their lead in the four th minute of first-half stop page time. It came from another set piece after Hagi was fouled by John Sergeant just outside the box. Barisic floated the ball in from the left and Gold songu ided a free header home from around eight yards.
Rangers made another change at the start of the second half a sT a vernier was replaced by Mo re los, who joined Itten up front in another tactical reshuffle.
As he searched for his first goal for Rangers, It ten was unable to pounce when Goldwin spilled a free -kick from Hagi as the Imps keeper recovered in time to smother the ball at his feet.
Goldwin then made a fine reaction save to keep out a shot by Stewart, preserving only the slightest hop e of a recover y by the home team. They were almost given real encouragement when a mistake by George Edmundson presented Chip olina with a chance from close range but he was denied by a brilliant reaction save by the previously under-employed Mcgregor.
Itten made way for Defoe in the 66th minute, the veteran striker back in action for the first time since a calf injury in pre -season, and R angers
The Colombian striker continues to underline the value of his predatory instincts to Steven Gerrard’s side
wrapped up the tie with a third goal a minute later.
Barisic floated a free-kick to the right of the Imps penalty area and the ball was knocked back across the six-yard box by Stewart to provide Morelos with a tap-in.
Morelos had the final word in the closing stages, completing a professional job by Rangers with a flourish as he chipped a neat finish over Goldwin. LINCOLN RED IMPS: Goldwin, Wiseman (Gamiz 56), Lopes, Chipolina, Britto; Yahaya, Torrilla, Hernandez (De Barr 52); Sergeant (Toscano 68), L Casciaro, Gomez. Subs not used: Soler, K Casciaro, Mfoumou, Coombes.
RANGERS: Mcgregor, Tavernier (Morelos 46), Goldson, Edmundson, Barisic; Kamara, Arfield, Stewart; Hagi, Roofe (Patterson 42), Itten (Defoe 66). Subs not used: Mclaughlin, Helander, Davis, Kent.