I can’t afford to rest Morelos says boss
GAVIN BERRY
STEVEN GERRARD has told Steven Davis he won’t pick the midfielder on his reputation. And the Rangers boss has challenged the Northern Ireland captain to show he is worth a place in the first team. But Gerrard is adamant Davis will be at Ibrox next season despite his disappointing return to the club. He signed an initial six-month loan deal in January and was expected to negotiate a permanent contract at the end of the season. But the 34-year-old has made just four starts and was out of the squad for Sunday’s Scottish Cup trip to Aberdeen. Davis was a big-name winterbreak signing along with Jermain Defoe but it’s bargain buy Glen Kamara who has impressed the most. Gerrard warned they don’t have time to persevere with players who fail to produce the goods but says a certain amount of patience is required with Davis due to his lack of game time at Southampton before his move to Gers. The Ibrox boss, who takes his side to Easter Road tonight, said: “Nobody gets special treatment and I don’t pick on reputation or name. And that goes for any area of the pitch. “I don’t think to myself, ‘He has got X amount of appearances or experience’. STEVEN GERRARD insists he can’t afford to rest Alfredo Morelos in next week’s Scottish Cup replay against Aberdeen.
The Colombian is walking a tightrope following his yellow card for simulation in the 1-1 draw at Pittodrie last Sunday and now finds himself a booking away from missing a potential I watch the training, analyse it, watch it back. I analyse the games and speak to my staff then I pick the best players on form to do the job.
“If that means a player misses out on the 11 or the 18 that’s just the way it is and the way it’s always going to be.
“We have had quite a few conversations since Steven arrived but I won’t be getting into the habit of pulling an individual player every two or three days or overspeaking to them because they get bored of your voice.
“What I do is make it clear to the players as a group that this is how it works and I pick the players who I think will get the job done – players in form, players who want to keep hold of the shirt and fight for the shirt and we go from there.
“Listen, no one can knock on my door and say they haven’t had a fair crack at the whip. Steven just needs to keep pushing, keep fighting. Keep earning the right to get an opportunity.
“Sometimes it comes down to individuals to analyse their situation and self-reflect – basically find the answers to any questions themselves.
“They need to ask themselves, ‘What do I need to do to get another opportunity?’ And then, ‘What do I need to do to take that opportunity?’
“If we get the best Steven Davis there will be game time and opportunities for him in BY GAVIN BERRY sport@dailyrecord.co.uk Old Firm semi-final showdown at Hampden.
The teams meet again at Ibrox on Tuesday with the winners set to face Celtic next month.
But Gerrard won’t take his striker’s situation into consideration when selecting his team.
Morelos missed the the short, medium and longterm and I’ve got no doubt he will be an amazing signing.
“I’ve got every confidence in Steven and his ability but I have to make decisions on the team and pick on form and what I see on a daily basis.
“I believe he will be here next season. That’s all I can say about it right now. But maybe we will just need to be a bit more patient and build fitness up and build confidence up.
“I’m sure being out of the frame at Southampton would have affected his mental thinking and also his physical condition.
“Because of the name and because he had a fantastic career and we know the talent, everyone is expecting him to take to it like a duck to water because he’s been here and won before. But it changes and it’s a great challenge for the player to try to shift someone out of his way to get more opportunities.
“I don’t see it as a negative, I see it as a positive for the player, the team and for myself because I welcome people fighting for the shift.
“All the players have to earn that opportunity. Whether you have a contract until the summer or next summer, you’ve always got to prove and fight for the right to be a Rangers player.
“That’s what we’ve tried to do here, to remind players we won’t tolerate or accept anyone who becomes complacent or doesn’t show a certain level.
“We’ll move players on as quickly as they’ve come in the Betfred Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen this season with Gerrard later admitting he should have rested him for the win against Ayr.
But he said: “I will play the best team I think is going to get the job done.
“We are not in a position where we can take players out and rest them for further down door because results and success here are so important.
“As a manager and staff we can’t wait too long. If we don’t get something right we’ll be open and honest about that and will try to make the change immediately, rather than being patient. We haven’t got time to be patient here.”
Davis has found top-team action limited due to Gerrard’s strength in numbers in the midfield area with Kamara hitting the ground running.
Gerrard will be grateful for so many options if Ryan Jack fails to recover from a foot injury which makes him a doubt for the clash with Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
The Gers boss said: “The midfield area has fierce competition right now. You’ve got Ryan Jack in very consistent form, probably playing the best football in his career over the last seven or eight months.
“Scott Arfield contributes numbers in the final third of the pitch, whether it be assists or goals and he plays as a leader.
“They’re at it, they’re fighting to be involved. So it’s very tough and I have to pick players on form, players who deserve to be involved in the 18.”
Rangers were held to a goalless draw on their last trip to Easter Road but Gerrard admitted it was a top display with a goal all that was missing.
He said: “Hibs away in the league was one of our best performances but we were guilty of not taking our chances on the night and their keeper made some top saves and was man of the match.
“Our forward-thinking players just didn’t get the breakthrough and I felt if we’d got one early it could have been an emphatic scoreline.”
Rangers have become the first club in Scotland to offer Modern Apprenticeships to Rangers Women’s player in partnership with Skills Development Scotland. the road because that can smack you in the face in the short term.
“I speak to the group about discipline and the importance of not picking up cards.
“We have suffered and there has been significant damage done to our progression when important players have been suspended.”