JOE WORRALL reckons Rangers let boss Steven Gerrard down with their Hampden no-show against Aberdeen on Sunday.
The Light Blues went down 1-0 to Derek McInnes’ side as they missed out on a chance to go head-to-head with Celtic for the first silverware of the campaign in the Betfred Cup final.
It was a real blow to Gerrard in his first campaign in the dugout and defender Worrall was disappointed with a below par performance against the Dons.
Worrall said: “He (Gerrard) just said we need to focus on the positives we have had over the last couple of weeks and to make sure we make it right on Wednesday.
“We have the game which is good because it would have been a week where we would have had to keep our heads down but now we can look forward to that.
“We could have done better at the end of the day. He puts the team out to perform at the end of the day and we didn’t do that for him.
“It was a massive opportunity to get to his first cup final and he is not in it and neither are we. Collectively, as a team, and individually, it would have been my first cup final as well and so I am a little bit miffed that we aren’t in this one.
“There are plenty of other games to come and we just have to make it right.”
Rangers dominated possession for large spells at Hampden but created few clear scoring chances as they toiled in the final third.
And they paid the ultimate price for that profligacy as Lewis Ferguson headed home the only goal of the game with 11 minutes remaining.
Worrall said: “It was a kick in the teeth. It is not the best we have played but credit to Aberdeen they stopped us from scoring and scored a set piece and they go through to the final and we don’t.
“It is fine margins these games and I think we have to create a bit more. Everyone is disappointed and hurting but we have a game to look forward to on Wednesday and we will put it right then.
“You can talk about who was playing and who wasn’t but at the end of the day everyone is given a shirt and is trusted by the manager to perform. I think, as a team, collectively, we were below par and Aberdeen beat us.
“At the end of the day, fair play to Aberdeen they have come on the day. We’ve not played our best and they have scored a set piece.
“If roles had been reversed and we were playing against a Rangers then that is the same game plan we would want – to stick 11 behind the ball and then to win it via a set piece like they did.”
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