IBROX BOSS IS READY TO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE AFTER THE ENDLESS ACRIMONY
Gerrard pleads for beautiful game amid pitch rows and paranoia
THE prelude to the first coming together of Rangers and Kilmarnock in the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup was so typical of the hothouse atmosphere surrounding the game in this country. Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard reacts to comments made by his opposite number Steve Clarke, clearly referring to an alleged dive taken by Jermain Defoe against St Mirren, by accusing him of a ‘lack of class’.
Clarke responds by expressing disappointment in Gerrard for making things ‘personal’.
Put it all together and you have a volcanic build-up followed by a cold, terse handshake in the wake of a flinty, goalless draw at Rugby Park between two men who previously worked together in perfect harmony at Liverpool.
It doesn’t take much to sour relationships in this particular melting pot, most certainly in the febrile environment that exists right now.
That Killie midfielder Alan Power did not receive an SFA ban for a high tackle on Ryan Jack in last weekend’s stalemate in Ayrshire has outraged Rangers supporters up in arms over the fact Allan McGregor and Alfredo Morelos are now serving suspensions as a result of incidents reviewed in the earlier league win at Aberdeen.
Gerrard’s own remarks that Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch is the worst he has ever set foot on probably don’t help matters as Clarke’s side prepare to travel to Ibrox for a keenly-awaited cup replay on Wednesday night.
However, the former England captain seems eager to draw a line in the sand. Amid the paranoia, the personality clashes, the rows over pitches and referees and disciplinary systems, he feels something important is being lost: the actual football.
Gerrard was enthralled by the sight of Morelos, available this midweek due to the terms of his ban, going hammer and tongs with Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna at Pittodrie before their individual battle ended in two red cards in the second half.
He saw two emerging stars engaged in a real battle of wills.
He clearly feels both were unlucky to be sent off for a tangle that saw McKenna make contact with Morelos’ head and the Colombian find himself adjudged to have stamped on his opponent.
He is just sad that the quality of their play has been lost amid the maelstrom. Gerrard has been caught up in the emotion of it all on a number of occasions himself since arriving north of the border, but concedes he would like to see everyone around the national sport start developing a clearer focus.
‘That’s where I am maybe going to have to adapt,’ he said. ‘When you break it all down, I’ve been pretty strong with my opinions on plastic pitches and where I am on it.
‘In terms of the SFA and the officials, I’m one who will try to support and accept decisions, but with an eye on, hopefully, trying to get it more consistent with a better process.
‘In terms of going toe-to-toe with managers and decisions, I think we need to try to maybe move on from it, because you also have to think about the type of game that is in question here.
‘Aberdeen v Rangers had everything. It had a top centre-back and a top centre-forward having an absolute war on the pitch, which was fascinating to watch.
‘Aberdeen finished the stronger team. It was a night game under the lights at Pittodrie and it was an unbelievable game. I’m sure there is going to be another one if we manage to get through Kilmarnock, which is great for everyone to look forward to.
‘The people that watched it, and I had feedback off, absolutely loved watching it. It’s only normal that some of these decisions will be up for debate. The shame for me was that it ended 10 v 10.
‘For me, there should have been common sense applied there and let’s see that battle for the 90 minutes, because I was absolutely loving it.’
Morelos, of course, has become a central figure in the grand pantomime. The mercurial hothead. A bad guy to many.
A victim of racism, according to some of the more excitable members of the Rangers support.
Asked if he shares the view that Scottish football is little more than a soap opera with a smattering of football, Gerrard is clear.
‘At times,’ he replied. ‘But it’s the same down in England as well.
‘What we all want and what we should try to all strive for — the media, the SFA, players, managers, whatever it is — is to talk about the football and the players.
‘That’s what we’re all here for, to talk about the games, the contests, the head-to-heads, the individuals.
‘For me, we should be talking about McKenna and Alfredo. How competitive that battle is and how lucky we are to sample that every so often, rather than talking about how long they are going to miss and blah, blah, blah. We need to try and focus more on football.’
Of course, Gerrard has focused plenty on Kilmarnock this term. This week will see their fifth meeting of the season so far. They will meet seven times before it’s over. This level of familiarity is something else that Gerrard must surely be having to adjust to.
‘I don’t know what you want me to say to that, but it just is what it is and we have to deal with it,’ he stated. ‘You always knew that whoever you have drawn in the cup — and it has been Kilmarnock and Aberdeen this time around, maybe — that you just have to adapt and be ready in case you face a different formation or different personnel because of previous results.
‘We’d love the opportunity to go and play Aberdeen again, but we have a very tough game we have to deal with here first.’
Aberdeen v Rangers had everything. It was a shame to end up 10 v 10