Steve Clarke from Kilmarnock responds to Steven Gerrard after the Rangers boss says he's "lacking in class"

Steve Clarke accused Steven Gerrard of having made things "personal" in his ongoing war of words – and insisted that the Rangers boss was not allowed to judge his character.

Gerrard said this week that his rival Kilmarnock "lacked clbad" and was trying to "ban one of my players" as a result of comments on the SFA's disciplinary system.

Although he did not mention the name of Jermain Defoe, Clarke had seemed to be referring to a penalty inflicted on the Rangers after the attacker fell into the penalty box during the win against St Mirren last weekend.

Steve Clarke, Kilmarnock boss, accused Steven Gerrard of making things "personal"

Kilmarnock's manager claimed that it was no different from an incident that had seen his team's winger, Jordan Jones, face a two-game ban for the Dundee simulation against him. October.

Urging the SFA to be consistent in its decisions, he called on Compliance Officer Clare Whyte to "do his job".

Now, after Gerrard's scathing reprimand, Clarke responded before tonight's Rugby Park clash between clubs in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

"I was very general in my remarks and I did not name names," he said. "If the collateral damage that results is that I upset another manager, it has to be like that, because I have to do my job professionally for Kilmarnock."

Rangers manager Gerrard said Clarke "lacked clbad" with his comments.

When asked if he had thought of telephoning Gerrard before the tea party tonight when they had been colleagues in Liverpool, Clarke said, "No, I'll wait next time." that I would see him again.

"It was not necessary to customize everything about the clbad or anything else. I am 55 years old and I know how to lead a professional and personal life.

"There will be someone taller and better who will judge me at the end of my time.

"I imagine that there will be a handshake before and after the match, there are always some. I do not see why he would not have one.

"I do not involve myself in personal things – but I have to answer some of the arguments put forward by Steven.

"Everyone manages situations differently. I continue to use the word, but I tend to handle them in a consistent way and not to make them personal.

"Sometimes it's hard to sit in front of the media and try to talk about common sense and offer balanced views and opinions.

Clarke was upset by Gerrard's badertion that he was the only prominent boss not to attend a meeting.

"But I'm still very conservative in all the criticisms I make. I'm trying to beat me for this club. That's what I'm paid to do.

He was also annoyed by Gerrard's comment that Clarke was the only senior chief not to attend a recent meeting of referees and officials in Perth.

"It's not my fault," said Kilmarnock's boss. "I explained that I had received the invitation only late Tuesday and that I had already made plans for Thursday.

"I accepted the reasoning of Ian Maxwell (general manager of the SFA) for having forgotten us, which was a sad reason. he had lost his father.

Clarke said his idea was that the suspended Kris Boyd (left) be a

"I asked the press that this is the end and I have not made much of it.

"Whatever it is, I was not the only manager not to be present. Martin Canning of Hamilton, who unfortunately has since lost his job, was not there either.

"So, that Steven comes and tries to say that they had agreed at this meeting to show more respect to the referees made no sense because I was not at the meeting." and I would not have known.

& # 39; Why would he try to isolate me? That has disappointed me.

Meanwhile, Clarke said his idea was for suspended striker Kris Boyd to work as an informant for Sky TV during the Aberdeen-Rangers game on Wednesday instead of taking part in Killie's 2-2 draw. at Dens Park the same evening.

"I asked him to play so we could take a look at the next opposition," Clarke said.

"I could not bring someone else to the match, so it was a stone two stones. I believe that some people on social networks have tried to make it a problem.

"It's not a problem because he worked for me. He went there with my blessing to have an eye on our next opponents.