Gerrard: Blame me for Morelos yellow
STEVEN GERRARD has accepted responsibility for the booking that has ruled Alfredo Morelos out of Rangers’ semi-final with Aberdeen.
The striker picked up his second Betfred Cup caution against Ayr for remonstrating with referee Bobby Madden after a crude challenge.
It leaves Gerrard without a recognised striker at Hampden.
Gerrard said: “The incident itself, I sympathise with him because I thought it was a yellow card incident on him and then he obviously wouldn’t have spoken the way he did.
“He is wrong to speak back to the referee the way he did. But, the big picture is that I am to blame because he had a yellow card and there was that risk. I took that risk so I am to blame, big picture. He is to blame for getting the yellow card for answering the referee back because that is wrong. I am sure he knows that.
“The referee got it wrong because he should have booked the Ayr player. But the person to blame is myself because I took the risk of playing him. I could easily have left him out and we wouldn’t be in this situation.
“It would have come into consideration but when Lafferty is cup tied and I am not seeing the real Umar Sadiq, sometimes decisions… you have to take those risks as a manager. But, I have got it wrong so I am to blame.
“I have not spoken to him about it. Alfredo aside, if someone does that tackle on you, more often than not you are going to have a go at the referee.
“I have seen that many, many times whether you are young or old. For me, it was a bad challenge on him but we have come out of it on the wrong side unfortunately.”