Radamel Falcao has heaped praise on Alfredo Morelos after the striker’s debut for the Colombian National Side.
Colombia’s all time leading goalscorer has claimed that Morelos will be a “star” for the country and that “he’s ready to get to the top”.
It’s high praise from one of the world’s most iconic strikers, but why does he see it when Scottish pundits don’t?
Regular criticism often misplaced
For a while there, Morelos was becoming something of a pantomime villain in Scottish football.
Framed as a frustrating, aggressive figure, pundits regularly get his disciplinary record wrong.
He wasn’t sent off once last season. He is by no means a dirty player. His red card v Aberdeen was rescinded. Pundits seem to will his mistakes and only give him a compliment through gritted teeth.
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“This the good side of him but…” “If he would cut the other stuff out…” are regular soundbites when Morelos is playing. Whilst true, it’s not everything the striker is.
He can be petulant and frustrating at times but it’s not the crux of his entire game. Praise is generally given with a whimper in Scotland, but can be resounding outside of it.
Whilst his childish and petulant attitude is at times frustrating, it is massively overplayed. That said, red cards like that against Ufa will eventually start costing the team.
There’s also an issue around the chances he misses. Whilst Morelos will miss them, he will also score them too. But he gets in the right places.
What’s missed on this debate is just how effective the striker can be in other ways. He’s a brilliant lone striker. He holds up the ball superbly, can turn quickly and runs into the channels.
Morelos is as hardworking a player as they come and it astounds me there is such ill-feeling towards him from our media.
Praise from Falcao a big deal for Alfredo
Falcao is a respected figure in the game and his opinion on Morelos will be welcomed by the young striker.
Falcao said:
“Alfredo Morelos is going to be a star for us. When you look at attitude he has and commitment he shows, he’s ready to get to the top.
“He could be a big player for Colombia for years to come.
“I liked his work rate and he’s willing to learn. There’s a lot to like when you look at the kids coming though.
“He’s already playing for his country at such a young age and it’s clear he will be a regular for years to come.”
It’s a boost for Morelos and will surely give him encouragement to keep improving his game.
If he stands any chance of doing so, he can’t bite to the baited hooks of the Scottish press. And he needs to stop reacting to the overzealous treatment by players on the pitch.