Steven Gerrard’s big regret against Aberdeen was not having the chance to field Alfredo Morelos in the match.
Rangers were knocked out of the Betfred Cup thanks to Lewis Ferguson’s late header for the Dons. They now set up a final against Celtic in early December, whilst Rangers go back to the drawing board.
The Betfred Cup had been acknowledged by Gerrard as a huge chance to win his first trophy. With four of the best teams in the country all competing for it, it was a chance to lay down a marker.
Gerrard spoke to Rangers TV immediately after the match, and stated that he has one big regret about the Dons contest.
“I probably wouldn’t have played Morelos against Ayr United. That’s the one regret that’s swirling around in my head right now. I’ll learn from that.
“Listen, I’ll take responsibility for this performance. I picked the players and I picked the game-plan. I signed a lot of the players, so if anyone wants to point any fingers then throw them my way.
“We lacked quality and belief (in the final third). We lacked someone who’s got a bit of quality on the big stage to go and make a name for themselves.”
A costly error
It always felt like something that could come back to bite Rangers. Morelos’ needless booing picked up against Ayr was a key reason in Rangers not winning against the Dons this evening.
Whilst Umar Sadiq showed some promising signs, he lacked that quality in the final third. Morelos brings so much more to the table, and having him available would’ve been a real plus-point for Gerrard.
You have to wonder what Sadiq is thinking hearing his manager say that, however. He looks like a player starved of confidence, and Gerrard pretty much saying he wouldn’t have wanted him playing could drain that confidence further.
Morelos will be available along with fellow forward Kyle Lafferty for Wednesday’s visit of Kilmarnock. Gerrard could certainly have used either/or for tonight’s match, however.
Gerrard will continue to ponder what went wrong at Hampden, but it’s clear he’s ready to take the responsibility. It was a huge opportunity missed, and Gers fans will go away hurt with that performance and result.
It’s all about moving on, however, and Rangers need to bounce back strongly on Wednesday night.
