Rangers: Alfredo Morelos slammed for ‘lazy’ moment in 1st half v Hibernian
Alfredo Morelos was given a rare start for Rangers as the Premiership got back underway at Ibrox with the visit of Lee Johnson’s Hibernian.
The Colombian showed some rust, however, just a few minutes into the game as he failed to make it back onside despite having all the time in the world to do so.
He tried to dart in behind Rocky Bushiri from a long ball over the top and was pulled down as he tried to get past him but the linesman’s flag quickly baulked any appeals for a foul.
Andy Walker was furious with the Rangers number 20 live on Sky Sports commentary [Sky Sports Football, 15 December, 08:05pm] and made his feelings known.
“Morelos in from this start, he will have a physical test with Bushiri,” he said. “You can see there, he’s just a bit lazy in getting back, he was offside.”
One-off
Morelos is very rarely behind the game in the way he was early on at Ibrox and perhaps that was a sign of the lack of match practice leading up to this fixture.
Just one game against Bayer Leverkusen under Michael Beale meant many did not get proper minutes into their legs and that rustiness was very obvious when Ryan Porteous had the freedom of Glasgow to head Hibernian in front inside 10 minutes.
Michael Beale will be far more livid with the ease with which Porteous was able to head home the opener than Morelos’ offside so early in the game, especially as it would not have come to anything anyway.
His team selection was very attacking in having only John Lundstram and James Sands at the back, who are both makeshift centre-halves in a way, and the lack of height was very quickly exposed.
Of all the problems Beale has after that first half, Morelos is very low down on the list.
In other Rangers news, this Ibrox regular could find himself out of the reckoning if one starlet from Auchenhowie manages to take his chance.