With likely three red cards versus Celtic and mob rule at the end of the game, the spot light once again falls on ill-discipline at Ibrox. And in particular on their Colombian hit-man Morelos.
The Unmanageable Buffalo
Gerrard seemed at the end of his rope as regards patience with his star striker. A fifth sending off of the season is a European record and means that in his career at Ibrox, Morelos has collected 33 cards including 5 dismissals. This works out at 0.44 cards per 90m.
Is this high?
Let’s consider some topical comparators.
The Royal Villain
Many people if asked “Who is the most ill-disciplined player in the world?” would plump for Sergio Ramos, World Cup winner and multi European Cup Winner with Real Madrid. Sent off an incredible 25 times in his club career, Ramos has accumulated 237 cards in 650 appearances. He could literally open a branch of WH Smith.
When averaged out, his cards per 90m is 0.37. It’s high but he’ll have to try a bit harder to get near the battling buffalo.
Let’s Go Gerrard
Gerrard was himself a highly combative central midfielder in his playing days. (In)famous for a 38 second appearance in the heat of a Liverpool versus Manchester United clash in 2015 he received a further 6 red cards in his career.
Known for some, err, tasty challenges, battling in the English Premier League central midfield is not for the faint hearted.
Indeed, he accumulated 80 yellow cards, 3 second yellows and 4 outright reds in his 749-game club career. It is difficult to think of many more combative players in recent years yet his cards per 90m rate is a positively saintly 0.13.
Brown The Head Invader
As for the supposed villain of the piece, Brown, his disciplinary record is somewhat darker than Gerrard’s. In 558 club appearances he has 134 yellows, 4 second yellows and 3 straight reds. This gives him a cards per 90m average of 0.27. Twice as bad as Gerrard, but significantly below Ramos.
Why Always Him?
A player of profile with a behavioural proclivity similar to Morelos could be Mario Balotelli, he of the “Why Always Me” t-shirt and who is also a striker.
Remarkably still only 28 years old and now at Marseille, the colourful Italian has racked up 115 yellows, 5 second yellows and 5 reds in 371 appearances. This gives him a Morelos busting cards per 90m count of 0.47!
It’s always you, Mario, because you behave like an utter ned.
Morelos has some catching up to do to match Balotelli. A cynic might suggest if he had received all the cards he should have, he’d be scorching the Italian’s tally. No cynics on Celtic By Numbers thankfully, just lots of numbers.
Nature vs Environment
Ballotelli has behaved consistently like this throughout his career. However, Morelos prior to arriving at Ibrox, had a relatively sedate card rate of 0.19 per 90m for HJ Helsinki. Morelos in particular has turned into a card magnet with behaviour not readily evident at his previous club. But why?
Well, if you consider The Rangers disciplinary record under Gerrard this season, we see that they have collected 97 yellow cards and 11 red cards in 53 matches. At 2.04 cards per match, TRFC are challenging 2001/02 Arsenal team as the most undisciplined side ever.
According to The Guardian in their irreverent “The Knowledge” feature “Which team has had the dirtiest ever season?”, Arsenal collected 109 yellows and 12 reds in 2001/02. The (possibly British, possible World) record works out at 2.02 cards per match, less than at Ibrox.
With Kent’s red sure to follow, another World Record could be on the, err, cards. With seven matches left, the door is open for a new team Red Card record.
The Rangers discipline is truly appalling. There are clearly systemic behavioural and control issues that need to be addressed.
wilkinssscreamer says
celtic fans must be so glad to have such an amazing captain.not long till his career will be over though.
I love world records!!!
vino says
COME ON THE HOOPS. It’s a grand old team to play for…..8 in a row is a great feeling.
Pablo says
Raging, why comment on our captain, that’s the problem with the new club, a sense of entitlement, new club same superiority complex, thug players, fans that are a sometime disgrace yet constant shame, a manager who justifies the most outrageous behaviour, and a chairman who in the words of a judge is a “glib & shameless liar”. Top to bottom rotten to the core, the most pleasing thing yesterday was how our players acted with dignity and guile whilst your shower were reduced to violence and rage, actually on 2nd thoughts the most pleasing thing was giving you hope then ripping it away, it’s the hope that kills you, long may you suffer, Scot Brown, Captain, Fisher of Huns, I salute you HH
Brian says
Brilliant
Edward says
Thank you for the statistics
Very enlightening and indeed shocking
Billybhoy says
Blah Blah Blah when Rangers beat Celtic last time we took it on the chin and said the better team won on the day we didn’t punch anyone even when Arfield ran to Brown and mimicked him Brown just laughed no trouble nobody stabbed just sad Celtic supporters drowning there sorrows and saying we get you next time some people just can’t take getting beat Hail Hail ?
Graeme says
Are you sure about Ballotellis numbers?
135 yellow plus 5* 2 yellows plus 5 reds = 135/371 games is 0.36 for Ballotelli ?
celticbynumbers@btinternet.com says
It’s worked out on minutes played not appearances – the metric is per 90m. He has played 23764 minutes.
gordon Mcewan says
No class was the cry from S G. From a man who used a bottle to the head of a disc jockey to get his request played. One of his best friend’s and fellow Liverpool legend spits on kids but still pontificates on sky TV . Rangers discipline record this year has been a discrace but at every turn S.G. pleads from day one on his first game incharge as a manager that referees were against his assembled team of thugs who kick everything above the ground. Then there his poor old Scott Brown who according to every rangers fan who gleefully celebrated there mighty return to joint top of the league for at least 5 minutes even though they had played one more game in the last game of 2018 . It was a case of when they would take over. Scott was finished so many people had predicted his demise . So i find it quite astonishing that old Captain who was finished in December has managed to singley handed upset the whole rangers team there manager who has struggled to control discipline and now says openly he would have had a go at Scott if he was playing . Discipline Class he has it all
George Kerr says
Meanwhile in media land Jim White is giving his verdict. According to White brooony is a lowlife. No pictures of Frankenstein Kent popping Broony. A nasty media Hun criticising Brown. It is the time for all the Jabba brigade to spout off about nasty Scot Brown, Rae, McCann, and all the other tosser that cheated the Queen for cheap cash EBTs, gobbling off about Broony.
Broony is a class act, remember Diuff, getting the Broony.
Duncan says
No shocks here a very,very cynical and dirty team.
Was wondering if you could perhaps compile some stats regarding our lack of converting from corners at Celtic since say the Denaayer Van Dijk period onwards Alan?
I have a feeling Boyata is the most effective but even he is struggling to convert with any great consistency of late.
I have a theory that the loss of Griffiths to injury and otherwise has been a factor in this.
Could be an interesting one stats wise bud ??
Ps the Mankies were always a dirty side
Andy says
This stat has been shown before (scoring from corners) and believe it or not Celtic ain’t that bad. It is quite rare to score direct from a corner. Something like 1 in 40 if I remember correctly.
Tom Miller says
Very true Old Son
And I would like to be cleaning the dressing room after that mob on sunday if its still standing of course lol Hail Hail M8
Williequinn says
Why are we bein g made to be pay primium tv other tie isn’t let’s make a stand and boot this out P L sort this out ?ets have celtic channel back on the tele get rid of these bandits We.are being ripped off and the direc tors couldn’t care less
The Cha says
“The Rangers discipline is truly appalling. There are clearly systemic behavioural and control issues that need to be addressed.”
They don’t, they really don’t. 🙂