Unimpressed Micah Richards reckons Steven Gerrard has scored an own goal over his hardline treatment of former captain Tyrone Mings.
The England international was stripped of the armband over the summer as Scotland star John McGinn replaced him as the skipper at Villa Park. Mings was left on the bench during Saturday's lifeless 2-0 defeat to Premier League new boys Bournemouth before Gerrard raised eyebrows by admitting the defender will only earn a chance for game time when "he looks me in the eye and shows that he's ready to play."
Former Manchester City star Richards isn't having it and he reckons the former Rangers boss may have misread the mood music by taking his grievance with his former skipper public in the wake of their opening day flop in Dorset. Speaking to BBC's Monday Night Club, he said: "I’m flabbergasted to be honest because Mings is well-loved by the dressing room by all accounts and the Villa fans seem to love him as well.
"He tweeted when he lost the captaincy and he seemed to take it well. It’s not like Gerrard, he sort of threw him under the bus a little bit there. Normally you agree with everything Gerrard says, he’s straight to the point, direct and he’s a manager that will deal with anything internal in the dressing room.
"But he sort of put the feelers out there that there is a little bit more to be honest. Nobody would take losing the captaincy well, that’s just a natural reaction. But I just feel, for both Mings and Gerrard, they could have kept that internal. Maybe Gerrard was frustrated because they just lost the game and he was asked the question so gave an honest answer, but normally he keeps that between the group. It’s very interesting."
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