Gerrard said Holt "needs to look at my press conference properly", after his side beat Livi 2-0 on Sunday.

Holt had called Gerrard "naive" in a Sunday newspaper column before the match.

"He has got a few things widely wrong," said Gerrard.

Joe Aribo had been carried off for Rangers in their previous visit to Livingston in September after a challenge in that game from Livi's Ricki Lamie.

And Aribo took centre stage again, this time scoring Rangers' opener before Alfredo Morelos doubled the lead in the second half.

"Listen, he's entitled to his own opinion and whatever he wants to say but I think he needs to look at my press conference properly, because not once did I say that Lamie elbowed my player," said Gerrard.

"I said he led with his forearm.

"All I asked for in the press conference was protection for all players across the league and across the board, and I said we had to stand up to the physical challenge of Livingston. And that's what we did, and we did it ever so well."

Rangers' win kept them level on points with Celtic, but they go into the international break in second place on goal difference.

"We were outstanding from start to finish, we dominated the opposition and controlled the game," said Gerrard.

"I think you saw a different side of us, we were tough all over the place and at the right times we played some quality stuff."

'Toughest day at the office'

Livingston manager Gary Holt said he was ready to bury the hachet with Gerrard, after the two shook hands before and after the game.

"As always, the door is always open. Hopefully he will come in [to the manager's office] and I can give him a cuddle.

"I always shake hands and always wish the opposition the best at the end of the game. I'm a big enough boy to accept defeat so I congratulated him on his team's performance and to be fair they deserved the win.

"I can't put up a fight and say there was anything naughty and nasty and anything bad about the game. They were better in certain areas and we never caused them enough problems.

"It was probably the toughest day at the office I've had since I came in. I just felt we were a wee bit more reactive rather than proactive. We were waiting for something to happen and you can't do that against a right good side like Rangers."