French media slam ex-Liverpool ace Tyler Morton after ‘silly’ moment costs Lyon

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Tyler Morton waved goodbye to his boyhood club Liverpool this summer and completed a £13 million move to Lyon.

The 22-year-old was wanted by Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, and at one stage, it appeared like the deal would come to fruition before the Reds pulled the plug.

Arne Slot rated the midfielder highly at Anfield after he impressed throughout pre-season and was insistent that he should remain as a squad option.

Morton was limited to four outings across all competitions last season and was named only eight times in the matchday squad in the Premier League, but was left on the bench each time.

And now that the midfielder is an established first-team regular in Ligue 1, he finds himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons as the scapegoat for Lyon’s loss against Rennes.

Tyler Morton slammed for his “silly” red card for Lyon

Paulo Fonseca’s side were on course to record their fourth consecutive win of the new campaign as they led Rennes by a single goal heading into the final 15 minutes at Roazhon Park.

However, Morton, who Jurgen Klopp once branded “absolutely exceptional”, received his marching orders following a reckless challenge on Kader Meite, allowing Rennes to score three goals in the final 10 minutes to claim a 3-1 victory.

French news outlet MadeInFoot awarded the midfielder a 4/10 match rating for his display, writing: “Olympique Lyonnais, for their part, failed to make it four. Unbeaten before the break, OL cracked following Tyler Morton’s silly red card with fifteen minutes left in the match.

“A tough blow for Paulo Fonseca’s team, who had the chance to make it 2-0 just before the break.”

Maxifoot also issued Morton a 4/10 rating, as they, in no uncertain terms, blamed Morton for Lyon’s collapse: “A great pick from the summer transfer window, the midfielder who arrived from Liverpool delivered a good performance until he was sent off for a foul on Meïté. He left his team at 1-0, and we know the rest…”

GetFrenchFootballNews also suggested that Morton was single-handedly to blame for the defeat while matching the 4/10 rating: “The Liverpool FC Academy product had an excellent game – another one – until the final 15 minutes, when he recklessly took out Kader Meïté with a useless tackle. Five minutes later, Rennes equalised, and they went on to win.”

The England Under-21 international was granted limited opportunities to impress at Anfield, and Morton relied on impressive displays on the international stage to earn his move to Lyon; but clearly has much more to learn in European football based on his recent outing.

How did Tyler Morton fare before the red card?

As mentioned in the French media reports on Morton’s display, he was performing to a high standard before he was sent off.

The quality Morton possesses has never been in doubt at Anfield, and had the engine room not been stocked with world-class talent, he might have had a more significant impact for Liverpool.

Considering his lack of first-team football last season, he has hit the ground running in Ligue 1 and started all four of Lyon’s matches with no goals conceded before the loss against Rennes.

And had Morton escaped a red card on Sunday, he could have played another major role in a fourth consecutive victory for his side. But now he must reflect on his rash decision that cost Lyon the three points and learn from his mistake.