Rangers suffered their first defeat under Gerrard to Celtic.
Lee McCulloch has told BBC Sportsound that he believes Steven Gerrard made the wrong decision when choosing his Rangers side to face Celtic, stating he would have dropped striker Alfredo Morelos.
Morelos, 22, started the match as the side’s lone striker with Kyle Lafferty ushered out to the wing, but neither could cause any sufficient damage other than a half chance for the Colombian.
Dispossessing Dedryck Boyata in the corner, he raced into the box before blasting a shot at Craig Gordon, but that was perhaps the best chance Rangers carved out during the entire 90 minutes as they lost 1-0 to Olivier Ntcham’s strike.
McCulloch vented his disappointment in the direction of Gerrard by claiming the former Liverpool and England captain should have started Lafferty up front on his own, and instead dropped Morelos from the side.
“If you’re a Rangers fan, you’re disappointed by the performance and the result,” McCulloch said. “You’ve got to have a realism in your head – Celtic’s team are better than Rangers on paper.
“Morelos did not keep the ball well enough, he did not hold it up. In my opinion, I would have started Lafferty up front on his own. I know Morelos is a goalscorer, but I don’t see him as a lone striker.”
The defeat comes as Gerrard’s first loss as Rangers manager in 13 matches, after helping the Gers qualify for the Europa League group stages. The club’s league form, though, has taken a hit.
Indeed, Rangers’ five points from four games is their worst start to a Scottish Premiership season in 29 years, and Gerrard will be looking for his side to put that right after the international break when they host Dundee at Ibrox on September 15.
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