1st April, 2019
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has finally lost patience with striker Alfredo Morelos after the Colombian was sent off for a fifth time this season during their 2-1 Scottish Premiership defeat at Old Firm rivals Celtic on Sunday.
Morelos was shown a red card for elbowing Celtic captain Scott Brown in an off-the-ball incident with just half an hour gone at Celtic Park.
“I’ve gone above and beyond with Morelos. I can’t defend that,” said Gerrard, whose side slipped 13 points behind their fierce rivals with seven games remaining.
“He let his team mates and the cub down again,” he said, adding that the volatile forward would be fined a week’s wages.
The first red card Morelos received this season, for a kick at Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna in August, was later rescinded but the striker was sent-off twice more against the same opponents in December and February.
Morelos, who has scored 29 goals for Rangers so far this season, also picked up a red in their 1-1 Europa League playoff draw at Russian side FC Ufa.
“I still think he’s a fantastic player and I’ll still protect him, but it gets to a line and he was probably above the line already with me,” the manager added.
“From now on the indiscipline must stop, a million percent. I will be taking a far harder line on it.”