Ibrox View: Andy Walker jibe at ‘overweight’ Rangers star is surely out of line
RANGERS OPINION
Rangers have been baffling and disappointing fans ever since they came back from the winter break.
The Gers have gone from title contenders to best of the rest in a worryingly short amount of time, and their collapse has undoubtedly led to a whole load of questions that do not provide immediate answers.
One of the most bemusing issues facing Steven Gerrard at the moment, however, is what has gone wrong with Alfredo Morelos?
Plenty of column inches have been dedicated to the Colombian and his slump in form, which has seen him score just once since the winter break, but it would appear that Sky pundit Andy Walker believes he has found the answer.
Speaking during the Gers’ 1-0 win over Ross County on Sunday, as per the Scottish Sun, he said: “I’m looking at Morelos, Ian.
“I rarely see him run. I rarely see him looking sharp.
“I just wonder if he’s carrying a few pounds.
“He can’t get over the pitch!”
So is the root of Morelos’ problems that he has gained a little extra weight?
Realistically, the only people who will properly know that are the player himself and the club’s medical staff.
What you would say, however, is that his work ethic doesn’t seem to have dropped too much.
Granted, it’s not a perfect metric by which to measure his efforts, but generally speaking, a player who is not trying as hard – in this instance because he has allegedly gained weight – would not be making as much of an effort to defend from the front.
A quick look at the stats show that this simply isn’t the case though.
Morelos’ recovery rate in the opposition’s half averages out at 2.63 per game so far this season, as per Wyscout.
Since January, the player has surpassed that number three times, and has managed at least two recoveries on five occasions.
Against Hibernian at the beginning of February, he registered six in one match, as illustrated by the diagram below.
These are not the hallmarks of a player who is phoning it in.
Sure, Morelos is struggling at the moment, but it’s not for the want of trying, and Walker’s comments are certainly a little out of line.
In other Rangers news, ‘Completely bossed it’ – These Gers fans drool over ‘man of the match’ v Ross County.