STEVEN Gerrard insisted last night that Willie Collum IS a good referee – but stood by the club’s decision to proceed with a formal complaint against the match official.

Both Gerrard and Rangers as a club are unhappy about the way Collum interpreted incidents in last week’s 2-0 win against St Mirren and the Old Firm defeat at Celtic Park in September.

The only Scot on Uefa’s elite list of referees, Collum first earned the ire of Rangers this season when ignoring what they felt was a foul by Tom Rogic on Ryan Jack in the lead-up to the only goal in Celtic’s 1-0 win against Rangers back in September.

Their dismay was only compounded when he dismissed Daniel Candeias in last weekend’s 2-0 win against the Paisley side for two yellow cards, the first for provocatively celebrating his opening goal and then after an exchange with St Mirren’s Anton Ferdinand.

Rangers felt the Portuguese winger, who as it stands will serve his one-match suspension against Motherwell tomorrow, was the innocent party on the second occasion, but saw their hopeful appeal on the grounds of ‘mistaken identity’ kicked out yesterday.

With cases of mistaken identity provide the only means for clubs to appeal against bookings, a club statement accompanying the official complaint said there was an ‘underlying issue which requires to be addressed”. Gerrard too feels that the disciplinary system in this country could be improved.

“They are not my words,” said Gerrard. “I don’t want to speak about any individual referee.

“There was a situation at Celtic we have spoken about being unhappy about,” said Gerrard. “There is a situation at St Mirren we are not happy about.

“Do we think he’s a good referee?” the former Liverpool player added. “Yes.

“Is it my responsibility to support referees in this country? Yes it is.

“But I am human as well and I have to give my opinion if we feel hard done by,” he added. “I have to let the powers that be decide the outcome of this.

“I don’t knock on a referee’s door unless I think I’ve got a valid conversation to have. I’m not going to be emotional or try to intimidate a referee.

“We had a normal conversation. He gave his explanation and I told him I disagreed with it. We shook hands and I left.”

While officially the process is still ongoing, Gerrard is resigned to facing Motherwell tomorrow without his Portuguese winger. He will also be without midfielder Lassana Coulibaly, who has suffered family beareavement.

“I’d love Candeias available,” said Gerrard. “Do I think it will happen? Probably not.

“The club have made a statement and it’s ongoing. I can only sit and wait but I’m not confident.

“I went to see the referee after the game. He said he provoked someone. I can’t see it. I’ve looked back at the pictures and I saw it live.

“I saw him having a normal conversation with the goalkeeper, there was no problem there.

“I saw Anton Ferdinand putting his hands round his neck and jabbing him on the chin. I’m not sure Daniel Candeias provoked anyone.

“Did he incite the crowd? Yes. Did he deserve a yellow card? Yes.

“Did he deserve two? In my opinion, no.

“Should common sense prevail? Yes. Will it? I doubt it.

“The reason we think it’s mistaken identity is because Daniel hasn’t done anything wrong to deserve a second yellow.

“I have to adapt to it [the disciplinary procedures]. It is what it is, it’s life up here. Can it improve? Yes.”