Alfredo Morelos could have no complaints about getting sent off at Fir Park on Sunday for making a gesture at the Motherwell fans after he had scored.

The best thing the Rangers striker could have done after the stick he had received was go over to the supporters who had been abusing him and just give them a smile.

No, you can’t do what Morelos did and expect them to get away with it. The referee had no choice but to show him a yellow card and then, because he had already been booked, a red. He had to go.

But Scottish match officials have to be consistent in who they punish for their celebrations. Rangers players seem to be the only ones who are suffering to me.

How many times have you seen a striker score a goal and then run over to the opposition support and cup his ears? Isn’t that exactly the same thing? But no action is ever taken.

I can remember a few years ago Andy Halliday got sent off in similar circumstances to Morelos against Morton in a game against Morton down at Cappielow.

He celebrated a goal in the centre circle and was promptly shown a second yellow card and then sent for an early bath.

It seems to me that it is just Rangers players who are being done for it. I just hope the whole of Scottish football is treated the same way as Alfredo was from now on.

The 23-year-old has improved his discipline greatly and his red card at the weekend was his first in the 2019/20 campaign.

I am sure he will have been bitterly disappointed to be ruled out of the Ladbrokes Premiership match with Hibernian at Easter Road tonight.

But Morelos’s mood will have been lifted when UEFA confirmed this week that he had become the first player ever to score 14 goals before Christmas in one of their club competitions.

A lot is made of the fact that he hasn’t scored against Celtic and as somebody who did that on a fair few occasions over the years I can vouch there is no feeling like it.

But it isn’t the be all and end all. Clubs in larger and richer leagues who may be interested in signing a player will look at how he does against bigger clubs in Europe.

They won’t really care about how he is doing in his domestic league against the likes of Hearts and Hibernian. They will, however, be noticing what he has been doing in Europe.

The fact he has scored against Legia Warsaw, Feyenoord, Porto, Young Boys and other clubs is what will have grabbed their attention and is what will get him his big money move if he wants it.

I am sure Morelos will be looking forward to the Europa League last 32 double header against Braga of Portugal next year and will fancy his chances of adding to his already impressive tally.

A lot of Rangers fans I have spoken to this week think it is a great draw. It could certainly, with Arsenal, Inter and Manchester United all in there, have been a lot worse. But Braga are a good team.

The beat Wolves, who are a smashing side, 1-0 at Molineux in finished top of their section after going unbeaten in their six games.

Yes, they are ninth in their league, way behind Porto, but they seem to have something about them in Europe this season. Perhaps that is where they are focusing their attentions.

It is good that Rangers have got the home game first. If they can take a lead into the return leg it will be fantastic. If they can play the way they can, and it is a big if, they can get into the next round.

But they are going to have to cut out the mistakes they have made at the back and defend better than they have. They have been too prone to making stupid errors at times.

I would say they have a 50-50 chance of progressing. But if that man Morelos is in the starting line up at Ibrox on February 20 and 26 then anything can happen.