Ravel Morrison Potential Signing

19/02/2021

Sir Alex Ferguson described a 14 year old Morrison as "the best player he had ever seen at that age", but 12 clubs later and at the age of 28, Morrison had never lived up to his early shown potential.
Ravel was most recently at ADO Den Haag, where he played 4 times for the Dutch outfit in the first half of the 2020/21 season before his contract was terminated in January of this year. Lack of fitness could be an issue, but it is reported that Morrison has been training with Town as they evaluate his fitness and technical ability.

A poor reputation

When Ravel Morrison is linked with a club, most fans' mind will fill with dread. His reputation is sketchy to say the least, being brought up by his grandparents on one of Manchester's most notorious council estates: Wythenshawe, which didn't give him the easiest start in life. He was also subject to criminal charges in 2014, which he was cleared of. Sam Allardyce stated he was "the biggest waste of talent" he had worked with. Now at the age of 28, it is surely his last chance to salvage his career.

Previous championship expierence

Morrison has made 58 Championship appearances in total, scoring 9 goals and registering 5 assists, with his best season undoubtedly being in 2013/14 when on loan at QPR. The Jamaican international scored 6, assisted a further 3 and picked up 5 man of the match awards in 17 outings. Ravel played 3 times last season on loan at Middlesbrough, playing twice in attacking midfield and once in central midfield and while he only played a handful of times on Teeside, he certainly transformed into a different type of player. He completed 8/10 tackles, made 8 interceptions, made 3 blocks and committed 3 fouls. Previously he was seen as an out and out number 10, who was a lightweight defensively, but he showed that in a Neil Warnock side, where every player needs to be defensively sound, that he can be used in a more defensive manner. A transformation that is similar to Adel Taarabt at SL Benfica.

What do I think of his potential arrival?

Well, he clearly has talent and at least will be a body through the door to provide cover in what is an already depleted midfield. It would be unwise not to have any reservations about his attitude and as I said previously, you would have to think this is the last chance. You would think that Town would do a deal until the end of the season with an option of a further year. I don't think it is a bad signing, but is he definitely the sort of player that we need? The recruitment team have left a lot to be desired in recent years, but if Town can get Morrison up to speed and keep him in line, they may have pulled off a masterstroke.

Be sure to keep up to date with all the other incoming and outgoing deals at Town on the Transfer Page.