Ravel Morrison – the most talented player Sir Alex Ferguson had ever seen. However, Sir Alex and his staff struggled to control him and after a few years, Manchester United gave up and shipped him off to West Ham. Sam Allardyce took on the England Under 21 midfielder and after a less than ideal start, he was sent out on loan to Birmingham City. It was there that Ravel showed his promise, whilst playing in The Championship.
Morrison returned from this loan spell and really showed what he could do at the top level. Lighting up a rather static West Ham side with his direct running style and tricky feet. His solo goal versus Tottenham Hotspur caught the eye of the footballing nation. He went on to score three and assist another 2 in all competitions. Far from fulfilling for a man of Ravel’s talent, however, in a struggling West Ham side, he was regularly a breath of fresh air. However, it has now been confirmed that Ravel Morrison will be joining Championship table toppers, QPR on loan until the end of the season. The Hammers will have the option to recall Ravel after 30 days if they wish to do so, although I wouldn’t expect that to be the case, unless the Hammers’ injury list regrows.
Ravel Morrison has gone from being talked about being a surprise inclusion to the World Cup squad, to being “relegated” back to The Championship. A real shame.
What exactly has happened behind the scenes to trigger the demise of Ravel? Was it the public interest from Fulham? Or was it the much talked about attitude of the young man?
One thing is for certain, the only person who can tame Ravel Morrison, is Ravel Morrison. Sir Alex tried and failed. Allardyce tried and failed. He seemingly got on well at Birmingham under Lee Clark, and perhaps another loan spell in the Championship will produce the desired effect.
Even if he produces good performances at QPR, and subsequently returns to West Ham, will Big Sam still be willing to try with Ravel, who’s ability is forever held back by his mindset. In years to come he may be one of the greatest under-achievers in football history. If Ravel was going to change his ways, he would have by now.
Sad times for a player who I previously dubbed as “the most exciting West Ham player of all time” with his pace, and skill. For a while that quote grew ever more valid, but now it seems that two managers have lost patience with Ravel. A new challenge awaits at QPR with a whole host of big egos. Could that possibly change Ravel, playing alongside one of the most controversial and widely despised footballers in Joey Barton? Or will the clash of egos be the final straw? I for one will be surprised if we see Ravel Morrison in a West Ham shirt again. A great shame, for the player, the club, and the country.
Attitude and ambition to be the best player you possibly can be are the most important attributes to being a top pro in sport , and very often outweigh natural talent at the end of the day .
If the master man-manager Ferguson couldn’t do it, then I suspect the lad is a lost cause. All the talent in the world is nothing without the right attitude and temperament. Whatever type of a career Ravel Morrison has, I can, regretfully, see episodes like this littering it.