Steven Gerrard’s first foray in management in England is over after he was sacked as Aston Villa manager late on Thursday night just shortly after their 3-0 defeat at Fulham.
The 42-year-old was given his marching orders after a slow start to the season leaves the Midlands club just teetering above the relegation zone on nine points after 11 matches. They sit 17th in the Premier League table – just one above the drop on alphabetical order.
Who could succeed Steven Gerrard?
It is unclear who will succeed the former Liverpool and England midfielder but Mauricio Pochettino is a reported frontrunner to succeed him.
According to the Telegraph, Pochettino is said to be the No 1 target among a four-strong group that will lead the process of finding Gerrard’s replacement. The quartet involved in finding a new man at the helm will be led by co-owner Nassef Sawiris with Wes Edens, chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange all in tandem too.
Pochettino has been out of a job since being by Paris Saint-Germain in July and Villa’s desire to attract the Argentine is a bold one.
Aside from Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel – who was axed as Chelsea boss in September – and Villareal manager Unai are also reported targets for the ambitious club.
Where did it all go wrong?
Gerrard’s dismissal means he lasted just 11 months at Villa Park – having been appointed their manager on November 11, 2021.
His axing his eerily close to a case of deja-vu with his predecessor Dean Smith sacked on November 7, 2021 after collecting just 10 points from their opening 11 games.
There had been plenty of promise at the club this season after an encouraging January and summer transfer window this year.
In Gerrard’s first window, he brought Lucas Digne and Calum Chambers while signing Robin Olsen on loan. However, his most high-profile recruit was Brazil star Philippe Coutinho, a former team-mate of his at Liverpool, on loan from Barcelona.
The former Rangers manager strengthened things further at Villa Park this summer by signing Coutinho and Olsen on a permanent basis alongside Diego Carlos, Leander Dendoncker and Boubacar Kamara. Ludiwg Augustinsson and Jan Bednarek have also joined on loan, while Douglas Luiz was kept at the club – despite Arsenal’s best wishes – and signed a new long-term contract on October 14.
Those acquisitions haven’t gone as planned though with Digne, Carlos and Kamara all currently injured and Coutinho failing to provide an attacking spark.
Villa have been toothless in attack, having scored only seven Premier League goals this season. Their lack of a cutting edge was highlighted during their 2-0 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday and Thursday’s loss at Fulham, much to the frustration of their home support – in what proved to be Gerrard’s final games in charge.
