ALLY MCCOIST has questioned the meaning behind Steven Gerrard's "strange" comment on former Aston Villa captain Tyrone Mings.
The Rangers hero was left surprised by ex-Ibrox boss Gerrard's message to Mings after he chose to replace him with John McGinn as Villa skipper.
Mings had held the leadership role when Gerrard joined the club from Rangers - but ahead of the Premier League kick-off, McGinn was instead named captain.
And Mings was on the bench for the season opener against Bournemouth with Gerrard putting his absence from the starting line-up down to a combination of injury and his reaction to being stripped of the captaincy.
Gerrard had commented: "It's a little bit of that. He's also missed some training time with an injury and there's a niggle in the background as well.
"When Tyrone is back at his best and looks me in the eye and shows that he's ready to play, he'll get opportunities."
It was Gerrard's comment about 'looking him in the eye' which was of particular note to McCoist who questioned whether the manager was "caught in the moment" or "meant anything other by it".
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist said: "I was a little bit surprised at Steven's comment when he said 'when Tyrone is ready to look me in the eye'.
"I thought that was a kind of strange thing to say. I don't know if he was caught in the moment or if he meant anything other by it.
"It was as if, rightly or wrongly, it was implying that he wasn't ready to look him in the eye, which I thought was a strange thing."
Mings did return to the Aston Villa side for the win over Everton and won praise from Gerrard for his performance.
And the Villa boss insists there's never been any doubt over Mings' quality or any suggestion that he was dropped.
He said: "The outside have made a big thing about this. I understand because when you change a captain I expect that noise.
"But no one's ever doubted or said that Tyrone Mings is out the team or that he's been dropped."
McCoist also praised Mings for his reaction to being benched for the league opener as he insisted the England international handled the situation perfectly.
"I thought Tyrone Mings' answer and his quote after being dropped and relieved of the captaincy was absolutely spot on.
"It was exactly what he should have said and exactly whet Steven Gerrard would've wanted to hear."
