Steven Gerrard has made an over-the-top attack on Ryan Porteous making reference to ‘the kid’ over his sending off at Ibrox yesterday.
With Hibs in control and leading 1-0 the Hibs defender flew into a challenge for the ball 35 yards from goal. Joe Aribo jumped out the way as Porteous won the ball, got up and passed to a team-mate.
Referee Nick Walsh was in no doubt about the incident, reached for his red card with the home side running out 2-1 winners to overtake Hearts at the top of the SPFL.
Gerrard has often been condescending while discussing opponents, for reasons best known to himself he refers to the club that plays at Tannadice as Dundee.
BBC Scotland report Gerrard saying:
It’s a wild tackle. The kid only has to play the ball. I don’t know why there is any reason that he wants to go in with that intent.
It’s the second time that he has done it against us because he did it against Lassana Coulibaly not so long ago.
So the kid is obviously not learning and he has let his manager and his team-mates down today. I know one or two things about bad tackles because I have made a few myself, so I am not in a glass house here.
The kid Glen Kamara was sent off against Sparta Prague in midweek, for the second time this season he will serve a UEFA suspension.
The so called “kid” actually got the ball cleanly, thus playing it.
Gerrard needs a visit to specsavers if he did not see this.
Even watching a replay should make him reflect on his nonsense views.
However, I believe he is biased and consumed by the hate that fills the minds of every player, coach etc who becomes associated with that club. One just needs to have a chat with Terry Butcher, whose wife had to tell him to reflect on his behaviour. He then took stock and admitted that he had become consumed by it and regretted it, thus changing his ways.
I think Gerrard is too weak as an individual and too much of a hypocrite to do this. He is not a good example for young people.
The referee, Walsh, needs to take a good long hard look at himself also. Even if Hibs appeal the red card and win, the damage has still been done by the ref and mission completed.