Gerrard slams players – but loss ‘nothing to do with tactics’

Matt Stead

Steven Gerrard laid the blame squarely at the feet of his Rangers players after Thursday’s 4-3 defeat to Spartak Moscow.

Rangers looked to be on course for an impressive Europa League win, as they led 3-2 in Russia after 57 minutes.

But two goals in 66 minutes turned things around completely for Spartak, who held on for a 4-3 victory.

Gerrard insisted that it was not a failure of “tactics”, but of poor defending. Which was presumably nothing to do with tactics.

“We are bitterly disappointed with how we defended,” Gerrard said.

“If the problem was tactical then I would have looked to change formation or personnel.

“The goals we conceded were nothing to do with tactics.

“I think we attacked very well and I thought we were very dangerous and countered very bravely and got our rewards for that to be in control of the game at half-time.

“But, for me, football is about levels and, if you don’t defend properly and you don’t do the basics well enough, high-level players and high-level teams normally punish you and that was the case.

“We didn’t do the basics well enough, or clear our lines at the right time. At times, we weren’t in the right positions.

“People who have had a lot of praise and have done really, really well to get us to this stage just didn’t do the basics well enough.”