Steven Gerrard: Rangers’ exit on me, says manager after League Cup loss at St Mirren

James Tavernier and Rangers tasted defeat for the first time this season

Steven Gerrard says he is responsible for Rangers’ Scottish League Cup exit at the hands of St Mirren and that any criticism they receive is deserved.

The Ibrox side – who are 13 points clear in the league – conceded in injury-time to lose 3-2 in their first defeat in 27 games this term.

Gerrard has now failed to win any of the first seven domestic trophies on offer since taking charge in 2018.

“I’ll take this for the players,” he told Premier Sports.

“What they have given me this season has been outstanding. As a group we’ve enjoyed praise, so we’re going to have to take what comes our way, which will be the complete flip of that. We deserve that.

“We’ve dominated large parts of the game in terms of possession. We haven’t built on the first goal and we’ve concede three sloppy goals.”

With Celtic already out of the tournament, Rangers were strong favourites to claim the first silverware of Gerrard’s reign.

However, it is St Mirren who go on to face Livingston in the semi-finals, with St Johnstone and Hibernian meeting in the other last-four tie.

Speaking to Rangers TV, Gerrard said his side had missed a “big, big opportunity”.

He added: “We’ve got two choices now – we either show a reaction from this and use the disappointment in a positive way or we let it fester and it carries on to the next game.

“At times you’re going to get a bump on the road. My job’s to pick this group up now. We haven’t felt this for a long time, so it’s important we react in the right way.”