‘100%’ – Ally McCoist reacts to Morelos absence in Rangers clash v Hearts
Ally McCoist has hailed Rangers manager Steven Gerrard for his handling of Alfredo Morelos’ absence against Hearts on Saturday.
The Colombian striker was omitted from the Gers’ match day squad entirely despite being fully fit and not serving a ban.
But the boss revealed prior to kick off that he had left the 23-year-old out for disciplinary reasons.
Gerrard explained that Morelos has reported back from a permitted leave of absence 24 hours late earlier this week, and as such was deemed unprepared for the Scottish Cup quarter-final. He refused to comment further on the issue.
And McCoist has praised the manager for dealing with the matter in a professional manner.
Speaking to Premier Sports, he said: “No, it’s not good. It’s not a disaster, by the way, because he [Morelos] will probably have his own reason for it.
“It’s wrong, but the disciplinary action has to be taken. He [Gerrard] has taken it. He’s absolutely 100% correct.
“He [Morelos] has [missed too many important games], he definitely has. His form, like the team’s form, hasn’t been the same since pre-Christmas.
“I think Steven has handled that superbly well. He doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, which again is 100% right because he wants to focus totally on the players who he hopes can do a job for Rangers today.”
Has Gerrard handled this situation correctly?
Without knowing all the details, it’s difficult to pass proper judgement.
Morelos was allowed to head back to Colombia for personal reasons, and that could mean any number of things.
If he has been forced to stay in South America due to unforeseen circumstances, then it would be difficult and ethically wrong to criticise him too harshly for that.
That being said, Gerrard must be seen to be upholding the rules that he will have laid out for his squad, and as such, omitting Morelos is very probably the right thing to do.
In that sense, he has handled things very well, especially considering his refusal to elaborate on the subject prior to kick-off.
What it means for Morelos’ future at the club is less certain, and is almost entirely dependent on the details that we don’t have access to yet.
The only hope that supporters can have is that it doesn’t lead to further complications for the player further down the line.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox View: What does shock Gerrard decision mean for Rangers favourite?.