Former Rangers striker, Steven Thompson, believes that even if Alfredo Morelos wasn’t suspended, Steven Gerrard may have been tempted to pick Florian Kamberi ahead of the misfiring Colombian for their Europa League tie with Braga.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound and reported by The Scottish Sun, Thompson details what he thinks has been the difference between Morelos before and after the winter break.
So what has Thompson said?
When asked about the 29-goal striker’s performance against St Johnstone on Sunday, the former Ger said:
“On the Morelos point I didn’t think he played well on Sunday, he was miles off the player we saw earlier in the season. He didn’t look like he had the energy and focus he had.”
“When he came out of pre-season he had this look in his eye, he was chasing everything, desperate to make an impact. I’ve not seen that since the turn of the year.”
“This is another huge game for Rangers Football Club he is going to miss through ill discipline. Had it not been for Kamberi’s performance you would have been more concerned.”
“Even if he [Morelos] was fit and available, I would be tempted to think that Steven Gerrard would have gone with Kamberi regardless.”
So is Thompson correct?
Kamberi may have started anyway but it wouldn’t have been at the expense of a player with 14 Europa League goals and was one of the star players in the whole tournament in the group stages.
Morelos may not be firing on all cylinders but Thompson neglects to mention that he has had two perfectly good goals disallowed since January, one in particular that had a catastrophic effect on the Ibrox club’s season in the 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock.
Despite not being at his best he still could’ve walked off the park against Braga in the first leg with a hat-trick but for some heroic defending and goalkeeping.
Gerrard has never been the sort of manager to abandon a player going through a sticky patch and he is much less likely to do it with such a key component of how the team plays.
If Morelos was available would he have started up front?
Yes
No
Kamberi will get his first start against Braga – Gerrard all but confirming this in his pre-match press conference – but he will have to put in some performance if he is to match those of his fellow striker on the continent this season, if he does, it could just be enough to see Rangers through to the last 16 and give the club a much needed lift.