MORELOS ALREADY TALKS A GOOD GAME:
CERTAIN things transcend the absence of a shared language. The delight Alfredo Morelos takes in scoring goals doesn’t require any translation from his native tongue.
Kenny Miller understands it perfectly well. The veteran striker’s Spanish might be limited to a handful of holiday phrases, but few are better versed in what it takes to deliver at the sharp end of a Rangers side.
In that respect, Morelos has quickly earned Miller’s admiration. Producing five goals in his last four appearances has made the Colombian the most immediately impressive of Pedro Caixinha’s 11 summer additions. While still early, there are indications of value in his £1million acquisition from HJK Helsinki.
Miller also has an appreciation of the difficulties players can face when transported into a different culture where communication becomes a problem.
He was, however, already in his 30s when he spent time in Turkey with Bursaspor. Morelos was only 19 when he left his homeland for Finland. A successful 16 months there created a launchpad into this latest new environment.
‘I can’t speak his language but you can see he is enjoying himself and enjoying his football,’ said Miller. ‘That comes with being in the team and scoring goals.
‘That’s great for him to settle his way into the team, so long may that continue. His form and understanding of his team-mates is only going to improve over the course of the season.
‘When you move to another country you can feel as if you are on your own. But you’ve got team-mates you can latch on to and other people around who can maybe help you through it.
‘We have lads in the dressing room who speak his language and they will all help each other get through their opening months here.
‘It’s different for a young lad, I mean he’s only 21 years old so it’s always going to be hard for him. But he has settled pretty well.
‘Firstly, and most importantly, he is performing on the park and has got off to a flier with his goals.
‘For me, wherever I have gone — whether it be Turkey or just down in England — I was always focused on the football. No matter what happened away from the pitch I was focused on my game.
‘It is hard when you’re moving away from friends and family, but Alfredo has a good club behind him to help him settle.’
Scoring early never does a striker any harm at a new club. Especially one where the scrutiny is so intense.
Ibrox could have become a lonely place for Morelos if he was spurning chances. Instead, he will be the focus of optimism when Dundee visit in Saturday’s Premiership fixture. ‘It depends on your character and whether you let the pressure get to you,’ argued Miller. ‘When I came here, I didn’t score in my first six or seven games but I was always quite comfortable that what I was doing was the right thing and that goals would come.
‘But the fact of the matter is that he’s got five goals in his first seven games, so he’s settled in well and long may that continue.
‘Football bridges languages and you can still build up an understanding with someone on the pitch — but obviously it always helps when you can communicate well. That’s a big part of our game, but again that will improve over the course of the season.’
Morelos scored twice in the 3-1 win over Ross County that lifted some of the pressure from Caixinha’s shoulders prior to the international break. It also hoisted Rangers on to seven points from their opening four matches. Miller, though, knows a far greater consistency of results must soon be discovered. Games against Partick Thistle in the Premiership and Betfred Cup follow the Dundee encounter, before Celtic enter Ibrox on September 23. ‘Listen, that game will come,’ said Miller. ‘We have got two league games before it and also a quarter-final. ‘You always have one eye on those games and in Scottish football it is the one fixture that people look for, to see when the first Old Firm of the season is.
‘We are no different but we are firmly focused on the job in hand, which is getting some wins before that. It would be great to go into that game off the back of three league wins and reaching the semi-final of the cup.
‘The win against Ross County was a boost, especially as we’d never managed three points against them last year.
‘It was key to get a positive result off the back of a draw and a loss at home, which is never great.’
Ibrox issues have been a damaging feature of Caixinha’s tenure so far. As Miller alludes to, ambitions of a strong start to the new campaign floundered when a stalemate against Hearts followed Hibernian defeating a Rangers side reduced to 10 men by the dismissal, later overturned, of Ryan Jack.
Asked what had to be done to improve home form, Miller replied: ‘Keep 11 men on the park in that first match. The sendingoff definitely changed the game.
‘In the second one, we were more than comfortable and dominant through the course of the 90 minutes.
‘Really, on the balance of play we should have won the game.
‘Results will always define performances at this football club but I said a couple of weeks back that we can’t get too bogged down in it.
‘We could have killed Hibs off in the first 25 minutes and against Hearts we were in control and should have won, but we didn’t.
‘It is important that we put that right and get a result on Saturday.’
KENNY MILLER was speaking as Rangers received an Autism Friendly Award (left) after it improved accessibility for autistic fans at Ibrox. Earlier this year the club, in partnership with the fans, launched Broxi’s Den, a facility that allows supporters with complex learning difficulties and sensory challenges such as autism to enjoy matches at the stadium.