Post-match focus on Alfredo Morelos failing to get a legit penalty was nothing more than deflection by Steven Gerrard.
Yes, it was a penalty, and yes, it may or may not have altered the outcome, but the team, once that first conceded goal went in, simply didn’t respond and allowed Aberdeen to completely dictate the match thereafter.
This is not good enough – the manager didn’t apologise for the performance, instead attacking individual players again (without naming them, of course) and describing a tale of woe of losing out on a penalty, rather than admitting he made any mistakes himself or that the penalty was borderline immaterial.
We made a big deal of the two penalties we were blatantly denied recently v Feyenoord, so we’re as guilty as anyone of whining about penalties and injustice.
But while we had a lot of admiration over our comeback in Rotterdam and how we could even have won, last night we didn’t deserve any more than we got, and focus on a piece of injustice to us is trying to paper over the cracks of what was a monumental collapse from 1-2 onwards.
We get it, a manager feels he’s been denied a blatant pen, and referee Beaton apparently apologised, but end of the day the performance Rangers ultimately produced hardly deserved better.
Let’s focus on the things we can fix, rather than the injustices of poor officiating.
Things can be fixed, like our defence. But NOT, if our Manager has no mind too. I'm about sick of this absurd loyalty, to Tav & Goldson.
Gerrard was asked if he thought it was a penalty and he said it was. And it was. How is that bleating about a penalty? He gave a direct and accurate answer to a direct question. And how can he be blamed for the ineptitude of the players on the night. We completely dominated for 30 minutes racing into a well deserved 2-0 lead. He picked the team and he set up the game plan that put us in that position. How can he possibly be held accountable for Flanagan suddenly slashing at balls, or Goldson claiming for a free kick while Cosgrove was getting a free shot at goal, or Helander getting out of position, or Aribo sleeping at the back post, or Tavernier being Tavernier. These were individual errors and it's time the players took responsibility for their performance.
Good post Robrob57, thing is, comments on our players mentioned are accurate and it is the manager who has to work to help resolve short comings in any player/team (Morelos is probably the best example, despite a one off last night, I hope). However of the players mentioned, you can only take recurring poor performances for so long, or is it the Manager!! J
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