London – Steven Gerrard was fired as Aston Villa manager on Thursday, less than two hours after his struggling team suffered a dreadful 3-0 loss against Fulham.
Gerrard paid the price for Villa’s poor start to the season, which has the team sitting just one position above the Premier League drop zone.
Villa had won just two of their eleven league games this season, and their abject defeat at Craven Cottage was the final straw for the club’s administration, who fired Gerrard after just 11 months in command.
Villa’s fans jeered Gerrard and his team as they left the field after the loss against Fulham stretched their losing streak to four matches.
A statement read, “Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that head coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.”
We appreciate Steven’s hard work and dedication, and we wish him well in the future.
Gerrard led Villa to a 14th-place finish last season after replacing the dismissed Dean Smith with a three-and-a-half year contract from Rangers.
The former Liverpool and England great was supposed to help Villa climb the standings this season, but he departs with the team mired in a relegation struggle.
Gerrard won the Scottish championship with Rangers in 2021, breaking Celtic’s lengthy reign.
Since going to Villa Park, however, he has been unable to capitalize on his previous accomplishments, failing to win over the club’s fans with some lackluster performances.
Villa eye top Gerrard successor
Gerrard was unable to deliver the “continuous improvement” that Villa chief executive Christian Purslow demanded despite receiving significant transfer backing, including a move for Barcelona’s Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
Injuries to summer acquisitions Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, and left-back Lucas Digne also hampered Gerrard.
After the Fulham game, during his post-match press conference, Gerrard swore to defend his job.
“I am a fighter, and I will never, ever give up on anything, be it football or life. We shall see what transpires. “I will continue to fight unless informed otherwise,” he stated.
However, minutes after Gerrard addressed the media, Villa announced his dismissal.
Gerrard won only 13 of his 40 games as Villa’s head coach, losing 19 of those contests.
It is a big setback for Gerrard’s management career, as the Liverpool veteran had been touted as a potential long-term replacement for current Reds manager Jurgen Klopp after his success with Rangers.
Now, Gerrard must bide his time as he waits for a chance to redeem his tainted reputation after his unsuccessful stint at Villa.
Villa, owned by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, is rumored to be willing to offer one of the highest salaries in the Premier League in order to replace Gerrard with a player of comparable caliber.
Former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel have been linked to the position.
It remains to be seen if Pochettino or Tuchel might be convinced to join a team in Villa’s dire situation.
Other possible candidates are Villarreal manager Unai Emery, who coached Arsenal in the Premier League, and former Burnley manager Sean Dyche, a veteran of multiple relegation battles with the Clarets.
John McGinn, a midfielder for Villa, maintained that Gerrard was not to blame for the team’s predicament.
“It is embarrassing to participate. We’ve let down the traveling fans and the manager,” stated McGinn.
“It makes no difference who leads that team. It has nothing to do with the manager; the players only have themselves to blame.
“Support is really demanding. You are playing at the highest level, and if you don’t perform, you’re criticized.”