Steven-Gerrard-Liverpool

Aston Villa sacked Steven Gerrard as manager after a heavy defeat at Fulham on Thursday. 

The Villa Park club have won only twice this season and looked out of sorts against a much organized Fulham side. 

Aston Villa’s defeat at Fulham ironically mirrored their struggles this season. At 1-0 down, they had Douglas Luiz sent off for a headbutt on Aleksandar Mitrovic. Shortly afterwards, they conceded a harsh penalty, which the Serb striker duly converted. 

Steven Gerrard arrived at the club in November 2021 with a big reputation having guided Scottish giants Rangers to a first league title in 10 years. 

On his arrival in the Premier League, he energized a Villa side struggling for confidence, and guided them away from the relegation zone to mid-table safety. 

The club looked to move ahead this season, but things didn’t pan out well for the ex-Liverpool midfielder. This despite the club spending significant money in the summer. 

During his 11 months at the club, Gerrard won 13 out of 40 games, which was simply not good enough for the Aston Villa hierarchy and fans. 

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Did Steve Gerrard fail to win over the fans? 

For some reason, Aston Villa fans didn’t exactly warm up to Steven Gerrard as their manager. Perhaps it was due to the fact that some saw him using Villa as a stepping stone to Liverpool where he would succeed Jurgen Klopp. 

But it won’t be right to suggest that Gerrard had his mind elsewhere while managing such an iconic club. 

He was also undermined by the players he brought in the summer mainly due to injuries. Defender Diego Carlos, midfielder Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne all have suffered lengthy time on the sidelines this season. 

Fans also weren’t pleased by the style of football on display as the attacking verve on display for the second part of last season was replaced by a lack of identity and no clear plan. 

Villa fans were chanting for Gerrard to be sacked when they were being outplayed by Fulham on Thursday. For now, they have their wish as the club looks for a new manager for the second year running. 

As for Steven Gerrard, after his success at Rangers, his managerial reputation has taken a hit. He will now be determined to get back and prove himself all over again. 

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