Welcome to management, Steven Gerrard.
The new Rangers boss was given a taste of what it’s like in the dugout on Sunday in his first league game in charge of the Scottish club.
A coach can plan all pre-season, make several signings and prepare his team to the best of his ability and it can all still count for nothing when the players step on the pitch.
Gerrard almost saw his months of preparation go out the window after 12 minutes of the fixture against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, as Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos received a straight red card for his part in an off the ball incident.
There was an altercation between Scott McKenna and Morelos in the Aberdeen half. The Aberdeen defender looked to try to apply some rough treatment to his opponent. Morelos retaliated and aimed a kick at McKenna and received his marching orders.
On first viewing, it looked like a harsh decision. You can take a look at the incident here:
If you didn’t spot the kick in the clip, here are some screenshots:
Two former Celtic strikers were split on whether it was the right call.
Chris Sutton called Morelos “petulant” for his actions.
Morelos sent off… petulant
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) August 5, 2018
While Ian Wright said that it was the wrong decision.
https://twitter.com/IanWright0/status/1026078953050710020
However, Rangers responded well to the dismissal and took the lead after 30 minutes when James Tavernier scored from the penalty spot.
Gerrard’s first league game in management had a very eventful opening 45 minutes.
