Gerrard urges disciplinary rethink

STEVEN GERRARD insists the whole of Scottish football would benefit from change to the SFA’s under-fire disciplinary system.

The Rangers manager wants more support given to referees, as he feels their performances are being ‘undermined’ by ‘inconsistent’ retrospective action against players.

Gerrard is without Kemar Roofe for today’s Premiership meeting with Kilmarnock at Ibrox after failing to overturn the striker’s two-match ban. Roofe was initially booked by referee David Munro for his challenge on St Johnstone’s Murray Davidson in a 1-0 win ten days ago.

However, further retrospective sanctions are allowed under SFA rules if it’s deemed match officials did not see the ‘exceptional’ element of an incident.

The rejection of Roofe’s appeal left Gerrard reiterating his frustration about the selective nature of the system previously aired when Alfredo Morelos

landed a three-game ban. ‘My opinion in terms of the system, the process and the compliance set-up — I don’t agree with it,’ declared Gerrard (below). ‘I think that opinion is shared throughout other managers in the league, other players in the league and supporters around the country.

‘That is something that we all have to try to change moving forward and make it better and consistent for everyone in the league. ‘Hopefully, not just for me but for everyone connected to this league, it is important that we improve the situation because the inconsistencies are not good enough.’ Celtic counterpart Neil Lennon has backed Gerrard’s stance after Albian Ajeti was cited for diving before being cleared on appeal, arguing that the

Old Firm clubs are disproportionately targeted due to their prominence on live television.

‘There are challenges worse than Kemar’s, situations worse than the Ajeti one that don’t even get looked upon,’ added Gerrard, who has Jermain Defoe fit again to help counter the absence of Roofe and Morelos. ‘In the report we got (about Roofe), there was certain wording and certain language that said the incident hadn’t been seen or wasn’t seen clearly. ‘There was a yellow card given. You can’t, days or hours after a game, change your mind or have three guys come and re-referee the game. If that’s the case, what’s the point in us having referees? Why not have no referees and we’ll just make all the decisions days and hours after the game — and we’ll go from there?

‘It’s not right. It doesn’t happen anywhere else.

‘We appealed the Kemar situation because, one, we felt the game is getting (re-refereed) up here. We think that’s disrespectful to officials and undermining their performance on the night and when they see things live.

‘And, two, we didn’t think there was any malice or intent in the challenge. We understand it didn’t look great when you slow it down or when you show people it 30 or 40 times.’ Addressing how to improve the situation, Gerrard believes investment in fulltime referees would be a benefit.

‘We have to trust the referees,’ he said. ‘They will make mistakes. They are human beings. We’ve got to give them support in whatever way we can. ‘Full-time referees is one area where, 100 per cent, the level would get better up here.

‘I think the guys do a terrific job considering they are part-time and have other jobs. The level has certainly got better year on year since I’ve come up here. ‘But if we can give them more support financially to become full-time, if we can introduce goal-line technology, if we can let the referees be themselves and make the big calls and if we can tweak and change the current situation — I’m not saying it needs to be ripped up — it’s certainly an area that I believe can get a lot better for everyone here.’