One is a £30m wonderkid forged in the academy of Paris Saint Germain, the other is a Colombian bulldog with serious mental health issues bringing Rangers down.
This is the press narrative being shoved down our throats with regards the two biggest talents in Scotland in Odsonne Edouard and Alfredo Morelos.
From Chris Sutton’s bubbling resentment of the striker to that ridiculous sports psychologist story, Morelos is seemingly fair game for these blatant assaults on his character.
We’re also being told that the exorbitant price tag attached to the unarguably talented Celtic striker Edouard is untouchable.
There’s a build-up of media pressure to help justify the lofty valuation and support Celtic in getting the massive fee for the striker.
Fresh Edouard links and that £30m price tag
The Daily Record linked Edouard with a move to Leicester City in the window to the tune of £30m and no-one is supposed to bat an eyelid.
Granted, he is the league’s top scorer this season – albeit by one and having played 316 minutes more than Morelos – and this is no suggestion the player might not be worth that in the future.
But what gets my goat is how a compliant media is so happy and willing to talk up the financial value of one player, whilst actively talking down another.
Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is perpetually undervalued by the media in Scotland and if Edouard is being priced at £30m, then Morelos is not a touch off it.
Or rather, it’s the other way about.
Alfredo Morelos is statistically the best player in Scottish football. Period.
This is a striker who leads the Europa League scoring charts and broke the record for the most European goals scored before Christmas (14) [UEFA].
That’s a competition Edouard scored one goal in during Celtic’s group stage run. Morelos scored six.
Alfredo has also already found the net for the Colombian first team.
Edouard’s heroics against no-mark footballing nations with the French U21s are heralded as Godlike.
Morelos has 28 goals for Rangers the season, Edouard has 16 for Celtic.
Rangers have a massive asset in the Colombian. He is further along and more developed than Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard.
But this pitting them off against each other somewhat misses the point.
Both are immensely talented players and both will make their respective Old Firm clubs plenty of money when they eventually decide to move on.
So why are certain voices in the media determined to talk one up whilst waging a campaign to talk down the other?
It’s not really about Morelos’ ability or temperament at all, is it?
