John Hartson insists keeping Alfredo Morelos is key to any hope Rangers have of stopping Celtic hitting 10 in a row.
But even if Steven Gerrard can hang on to the fiery Colombian he still reckons the task of stopping his former club making history is “ridiculously” difficult.
Hartson claims handling Morelos’ temper as the Premiership pressure pot hits fever pitch will be the acid test of Gerrard’s man management skills.
The Hoops hero pointed to how Celtic and Neil Lennon guided Leigh Griffiths back from a spell out of the game to deal with personal issues as an example of how good man management pays dividends in the long run.
And if Rangers are to have any chance of stopping the Hoops making history in 12 months’ time, he is certain Gerrard must find a way to keep his prize asset firing.
Morelos struck 29 goals last season but incredibly only one of those came in the 11 matches after the winter break as his form nosedived.
And Hartson told BBC Sportsound: “Obviously Celtic will go into next season’s Premiership as big, big favourites.
“Can Rangers do it? It looks a ridiculously difficult job to stop Celtic.
“It’s down to what Steven Gerrard can do in the summer.
“I would imagine there will be quite a lot of movement in and out of Rangers.
“I also look at the Morelos situation - is he happy? Can Gerrard get the best out of him again?
“He has scored an awful lot of goals but he has also been sent off a lot. Is he on top of that now?
“There’s a lot of work to be done on Rangers side if they are to stop 10 in a row and history being made.
“He has been in the headlines a lot for his goals and for his discipline.
“When you look at the way Neil Lennon and Celtic have managed Leigh Griffiths’ comeback - sometimes management is not all about what you do on the training ground, putting sessions on and making players better.
“Management is also about dealing with players issues. What sort of treatment you give them, how long do you leave them out the team, do you abandon them or sell them and get them out of the club? Or do you see something in their eye that tells you there’s a chance - something that tells you the player has the will to come back.
“How Steven Gerrard now deals with the Morelos situation is key.
“Will he have to take the biggest bid - do Rangers need that sale to put money into Gerrard’s rebuild?
“They’re going to need players in to give the team a bit of freshness.
“It’s how he deals with Morelos. Can he get him to stay for another season because one thing he will miss, the one thing you can’t buy are the goals that Morelos has produced.
“He has scored an awful lot of goals even though they don’t have the success to show for it.
“So can Gerrard keep Morelos in the bid to stop this 10? That will be key for me.”
Hartson claims Gerrard has a huge job on his hands closing the gap next season as he is convinced, had the season not been stopped early by the coronavirus crisis, Celtic would have extended their 13-point lead.
“I really feel that the SPFL made the right decision,” he said.
“I don’t think Rangers had it in them to claw back the points difference and go and win the league - I really believe Celtic would have extended it.
“Steven has an enormous job to stop the 10.”
