Davie Hay has reinforced just how important striker Alfredo Morelos is to Rangers, but insists that the Celtic players are fully aware of the weaknesses that he has.
The two sides meet in the Old Firm derby on March 31, and Hay says that despite the 22-year-old not having scored against the Hoops in the times that he has faced them, he still thinks that he will pose a real “threat” to Neil Lennon’s players.
However, he did say that the Celtic team will know ways to wind the Gers star up, something which he has fell for many times this season – but he added that Rangers are a lot stronger with him on the pitch.
“There is an old saying that you never tell anyone what you are going to do but personally speaking, with Alfredo Morelos free to play against Celtic next weekend, I would say only that the the Parkhead players will be aware of both his strengths and his weaknesses,” he said in his Evening Times column.
“I actually think that there is a very good player in there. It will be up to the boy himself as he goes through his career to learn to control his temperament better but from Celtic’s point of view, he is one that they do need to keep an eye on.
“He hasn’t scored against Celtic but he is a threat. He is a goalscorer and his record would show that this season but the players will know themselves that there are ways to get under his skin.
“He isn’t too pleasing on the eye at times with the way he behaves but ultimately Rangers are a stronger team with him in it than they are without him so they’ll be pleased at the fact he is free to take his place.”
OPINION
Hay is absolutely spot on here. The Celtic players will be fully aware of Morelos’ weaknesses approaching the Old Firm match, and these are things – or lack of – that the team will be focusing on that day. They know that Rangers are a lot stronger with the Colombian in the side, so what better way to beat them than to exploit the things that their star player cannot do? It does make a lot of sense really. They know that Morelos has a feisty temper and that it is something that has let him down many times this season, so they will definitely be looking to get under his skin, just as Hay has pointed out. Rangers got one over them last time and the Hoops will be wanting to avenge that defeat this time around – and the first thing that they will have to do is stop the forward in his tracks.