West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has warned England Under-21 international midfielder Ravel Morrison his loan spell at Cardiff City is his final opportunity to prove himself worthy of a long-term stay at Upton Park.
Morrison, who is currently out on bail awaiting assault charges, has moved to Cardiff City on a three-month loan deal, having played just 130 minutes of first-team football for the Hammers this season.
The 21-year-old midfielder was sent out on loan to Queens Park Rangers last season after a reported ‘bust up’ with manager, who then conceded the player was not part of his plans.
However, West Ham CEO David Sullivan responded by saying: “Sam has said Ravel is not part of his plans but we as a board see him as part of our plans.”
“He’s contracted to West Ham,” Allardyce responded.
“I think he’s had a hernia op. Once that’s healed up I hope he becomes a better player because he has been playing with it for a while. The groins have been causing him a problem for a while.
“If you’ve got pain, I don’t think you perform to your best. Hopefully that pain will have ended and he’ll be a much freer, more active player for us. If he could do what he did last season, that would be great because, when he broke in to the side early last year, he had a great spell. Unfortunately he couldn’t sustain it.”
Now 100 percent fit, Morrison is heading to South Wales to play regular first-team football.
“He can go and play some football and see if he can get regular first-team football and we can keep him an eye on him,” said Allardyce.
“And then in and around Christmas time we have to make a decision regarding Rav because he’s coming into the last year of his contract now.
“It’s not that he has to impress me as a footballer, we know about his talent. It’s about applying the talent and himself to a disciplined life in general, that is what needs to happen with Rav. If that happens we’d want him here.”
As alluded to above, Big Sam is really hoping Morrison can find a way to improve his off-field behaviour. To warrant a new contract with the club, Morrison must satisfy the club’s ‘code of conduct.’
“It’s about self-discipline,” added Allardyce.
“We have our code of conduct like everybody else but self-discipline as a professional player in life is very important. And he has to sort that side of it out for me to be part of this squad that we have here.
“It’s a lack of concentration and a lack of discipline. In the end you can only talk to him so often, so many times about changing. Since he’s been here he has got better, there’s no doubt about that.
“But he still needs to get even more disciplined to where he is now. I think that he’s happy when he’s playing first-team football as well.”
Morrison, whose current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2015, tallied three goals and two assists in 16 English Premier League appearances for the Hammers last season.
By the looks of it, the prospects of a long-term stay in East London are bleak, at best, for the former Manchester United starlet.
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