'Gerrard threw Mings under the bus a little bit'published at 11:39 British Summer Time 13 August 2022
Aston Villa v Everton (12:30 BST)
Micah Richards says Steven Gerrard's comments about Tyrone Mings are out of character for the Aston Villa boss.
Speaking after Villa's opening-day loss to Bournemouth, Gerrard was asked about Mings' absence and said he will select the former captain again when he "looks me in the eye and shows that he's ready to play".
Richards told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club: "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."