Before the start of the new season, Gerrard took the armband off Tyrone Mings and handed it over to John McGinn, charging the England international to focus on his game.
Mings was left out of the starting line up and remained on the substitutes' bench when Aston Villa began their 2022/2023 season with a 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Bournemouth over the weekend.
Gerrard said afterwards that Mings would only be restored to his starting eleven if he saw an improvement in attitude.
But former Villa defender Richards has been left surprised that Gerrard came public with his proclamations on Mings.
"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," Richards said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"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.
"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."
