Rangers, under Steven Gerrard, regained the lost glory by clinching the Premiership crown. Giovanni van Bronckhorst succeeded him midway through the previous term and enjoyed a dream Europa League run against all odds. Although they endured heartbreak in the prestigious final, the Dutch boss secured Champions League football earlier this season after 12 long years. But the Gers have witnessed a downfall ever since, leading to criticism from the fans as well as pundits. Club legend Barry Ferguson has also shared his opinion, particularly his viewpoint on the underperforming Alfredo Morelos.
“I just think the best thing for both Rangers and Morelos is they part ways. Whether someone will come in for him in January I don’t know. Whether he’ll want to stay until the summer and go on a totally free transfer, we just need to wait and see.”
The former Scotland international has told Go Radio following the Colombian’s lacklustre display against St. Mirren.
Rangers are already eliminated from the Champions League group stage with the worst-ever record in the competition’s history. They not only lost all six games but also finished the campaign with a -20 goal difference. Morelos could have had a goal against Ajax after Remko Pasveer’s howler, but his dreadful miss raised a few eyebrows given his prolific poaching trait exhibited over the years.
Why Rangers Should Start Thinking Beyond Morelos
The 26-year-old hitman was majestic high up the pitch until a severe injury suffered while on international duties. A surgery towards the closure of last season ruled him out for months, including the Europa League final where playmaker Joe Aribo was deployed as a makeshift centre-forward.
Morelos is still struggling to regain his form, whereas the arrival of Antonio Colak has further jeopardized his future. He has not penned a new deal beyond the summer of 2023 and the ex-Gers midfield maestro has urged the club to part ways with the ‘number 9’ over reigniting contract talks.
Having said that, Rangers should be more ambitious in the transfer market irrespective of Van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox future. The Light Blues are currently no match to Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic in terms of both quality and vision, yet the persistent injury problems to an array of first-team stars refrained them from building momentum.
Besides Morelos, the injury-prone Kemar Roofe should also be offloaded due to his absence during the crisis period. 18-year-old academy prodigy Robbie Ure has a very high ceiling, but the Glasgow giants must rope in someone who would challenge Colak for the starting role. Morelos is a shadow of his earlier self and it remains to be seen how things shape in the coming days.
