Analysis Corner: What makes Morelos so important to Rangers
Last updated 13th Feb 2019
By Jamie Logan
So much has been made of the amount of red cards accrued by Alfredo Morelos this season, but let's have a look at why he is so important to Rangers and Steven Gerrard.
Wednesday night's 4-2 win at Aberdeen was the Columbians fourth league red card this season, and third against The Dons this season.
But why has Steven Gerrard been so strong in his defence of the striker. The stats are enough to tell you how much Morelos has improved under the Liverpool legend's guidance. In the whole of last season Morelos scored 18 goals in all competitions, compared to this season to date he has 23 in all competitions.
With Morelos
Rangers under Gerrard have largely used a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 formation. This has been mostly with Morelos as the number 9. What he has done exceptionally well is drop deeper dragging defenders out of their shape to allow the wide men, or midfield runners to create space for themselves in the opposition penalty area.
He has scored with his left foot, right foot and head this season which is a marker of his potency. He is naturally a goal scorer, but not one I would call a 'poacher'.
His link up play has improved and his ability to drop off and create space for others, while also fashioning chances with his movement has contributed to some Rangers goals this term. His stats tell us he scores 0.75 goals per 90 minutes, more than anyone else in the whole Rangers squad. He also has 0.15 assists per 90 minutes.
Of course there is an edge to a striker who plays the way he does from time to time, but his instinct to get involved in play and score goals is priceless to Rangers.
Without Morelos in the team
Rangers are not a poorer team without the Columbian in the side, as such. But their attacking play suffers a great deal without him. On Saturday against Kilmarnock, Jermain Defoe played the lone frontman role. This is a role he has played and can play extremely well, but the Englishman likes to play on the shoulder and use his cleverness to get him into goal scoring positions to finish off chances.
Against Kilmarnock, Defoe was largely well marked by Scott Boyd and Kirk Broadfoot. Struggling to really snuff out clear cut chances, he also never spun in behind or came short as often to get between the lines and open up space for wide men or the furthest advanced midfielder.
What Morelos can also offer is the ability to hold the ball up, showing good strength and allowing for attacking options to get up in support of him.
Furthermore, against the same opposition in the Betfred Cup in August, Morelos scored three times. Giving Kilmarnock a horrendous time with his movement and aerial threat.
The game at Rugby Park in between the two mentioned, was a 2-1 defeat for Rangers. Morelos partnered Defoe in a 4-diamond-2 shape which was at the time, largely inefficient due to it being in it's infancy.
What Defoe and Kyle Lafferty offer Gerrard is options. Morelos however has been a revelation though, particularly in all of Rangers best performances this season. He was the star man in the afore mentioned win over Killie in August, a 7-1 win over Motherwell, 4-1 win over Hamilton and he caused Celtic no end of problems in the 1-0 win at Ibrox on December 29.
Perhaps his performance in the recent win against Aberdeen has shown that Gerrard will have to accept all the attention the Columbian gets, and the wind up tactics from opposition defenders, as his goals will be pivotal in guiding Rangers to where they want to be.