Davie Provan has slammed petty Livingston players for getting het up about Alfredo Morelos’ handshake snub and backed the Rangers man for letting his frustration get the better of him.
The Sky Sports pundit and ex-Celtic midfielder claimed Livi duo Declan Gallagher and Lee Miller shouldn’t care less about whether the Colombian striker shook hands after last weekend’s 1-0 upset.
Striker Miller, who missed the game due to injury, joined teammate Gallagher in taking issue with the conduct of Morelos and Daniel Candeias at full-time.
“The person who dreamed up football’s sham pre-match handshake routine obviously never played the game,” Provan told the Scottish Sun. “One look at players’ faces during this stage-managed ritual tells you they don’t want to be there. And if they are reluctant to shake hands pre-match you shouldn’t expect anything else when they’ve just lost.
“So despite Lee Miller slaughtering Alfredo Morelos for blanking Declan Gallagher after Rangers’ defeat at Livingston, I get where Morelos was coming from.
“And with three points and a win bonus in his pocket, Gallagher shouldn’t have been giving a toss.”
OPINION
It is a big surprise that outspoken ex-Hoops ace Provan has thrown his weight behind Morelos, the 22-year-old hothead who can’t seem to spend more than five minutes on the pitch without getting into bother with opponents, officialdom or even his own teammates and coaches. As Provan points out, winners shouldn’t given two hoots about whether their vanquished opponents pressed the flesh at full-time. Yet, is the former midfielder missing the point as the row that has rumbled on for a week takes a surprise cross-Glasgow twist? Shaking hands is about respect. The game has finished, nothing can be done to change the result and warring opponents must show grace and manners. What sort of message does it send out to kids and young players about respect if high-profile professionals petulantly won’t acknowledge rivals at the final whistle? Davie, you’re wrong on this one. Gallagher and Miller maybe shouldn’t have made so much of it, but Morelos and company should grow up.