Alfredo Morelos could be axed from Rangers starting XI v Celtic at Hampden Park – BBC Scotland pundit
Kenny Miller reckons Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos could be axed for Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden against Celtic [30 April].
The Glasgow rivals face off at Hampden on Sunday [30 April] with Celtic chasing the chance of a treble while Rangers will be desperately on the prowl for their first silverware and win over the Hoops under Michael Beale’s management.
Morelos looks set to depart Ibrox this summer and former Rangers striker Miller has questioned the Colombian’s desire and motivation to perform for the Gers with his future at Ibrox still unclear.
Writing in his column for Daily Record [30 April] Miller intriguingly believes Michael Beale could start the match with no striker at all.
He said: “As a fully paid-up member of the strikers’ union, I can’t quite believe what I’m about to write.
“But when picking his Rangers team for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic, I think Michael Beale will be pondering whether to play one or not. That might sound crazy to supporters who fully expect Morelos to lead the line at Hampden. But believe me, it’s something the manager will be considering. It will be in his head, 100 per cent.
“Morelos isn’t producing enough for the team right now. He just isn’t firing Has he been awful? Recently, no. Previously, he had been – that’s when Michael spoke about him publicly.
“Weeks ago, Michael said he needed more from him. And he’s probably got a little bit, to be fair. But not enough to suggest that he’s going to have a major impact on this semi-final.
“So do you pick him just for the sake of having a proper striker up there? Or do you try to find a different way to beat Celtic? Of course, it will depend on how Michael wants to play. Up until now, he has effectively been playing with two strikers. At Celtic Park for the last Old Firm game, it was Morelos and Malik Tillman with Fashion Sakala on the bench. This time, he could decide to leave Morelos out and go with Tillman and Sakala up top.
“If he does, those two will need to initiate Rangers’ pressing game.”
Interesting
It seems as though Miller is predicting a tactical masterstroke from Beale for Sunday’s hugely important clash not only for his team but for the former Queens Park Rangers boss.
The calls to drop Morelos are understandable given his worrying knack for flattering under the weight of expectation in a Rangers shirt.
However, do Rangers hold the capabilities and tactical nous to play without a proper strike like Celtic can? Probably not, so if Beale decides to go down that route on Sunday afternoon, it will be a very brave call.
Rangers can ill-afford to be springing any tactical surprises that could upset the balance of their team against a Hoops side that can absolutely expose and batter teams if they aren’t on their game.
Beale and his men simply cannot afford such a defeat at Hampden Park, with much of their immediate future and credentials to consistently challenge next season coming under question from several pundits.
Whatever tactics Beale decides to employ on Sunday, it’s got to be a darn good one as a victory against their Old Firm rivals could seriously lift morale and stand the club in good stead heading into what will be arguably the club’s most pivotal summer of recruitment for a long while.
In other Rangers news, this Scottish journalist has made a Rangers sell-on clause jibe after what happened in England over the past week