Former SFA chief executive Gordon Smith has claimed Alfredo Morelos “needs help” after he collected his fourth red card of the season in Rangers’ 4-2 win against Aberdeen.
Speaking on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound programme, as cited by the BBC Sport live blog (Wednesday, 10.03pm), Smith claimed the Colombian striker has behavioural issues and his conduct makes him a “liability”.
Morelos saw red after a tussle with Dons defender Scott McKenna resulted in them both being dismissed by referee Bobby Madden in an explosive encounter at Pittodrie.
“The red cards were right,” Smith said. “Morelos follows through with his foot and McKenna has reacted. He’s caught him, I think, and Morelos has made the most of it. He had one eye on the ref as he was writhing about.
“Why does he have to get involved? He’s a liability in that respect. Rangers have got to deal with it. He needs help with the behavioural side of his game.”
OPINION
The two sides of Morelos’ game are so closely entwined, there appears no way they can be untangled. It’s clear Steven Gerrard spends more time managing the hothead striker than any of his other charges. As he and everyone associated with the club know, the club’s title challenge rests upon getting the best out of their main goalscorer. Morelos was brilliant before his dismissal, scoring two goals and running the third-best side in Scotland absolutely ragged with his movement, pace and clever touches. As a pure forward, he is improving all the time and a haul of 22 goals from all competitions shows why he’s the best in the SPL. But, he plays on the edge, partly a result of his character and also perhaps the expectations that come with being the best player at a club where expectations are never anything less than sky-high. Can he change? Or, is it just a case of managing him as best Rangers can? Aged 22, it’s clear the club’s prize asset has much growing up to do.