Steven Gerrard was given his marching papers as Aston Villa manager less than two hours after his struggling side crashed to a dismal 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Gerrard ultimately paid the price for Villa’s woeful start to the season, which has resulted in the club languishing just one spot above the relegation zone, having won only two of their 11 league matches this term. Their tame surrender at Craven Cottage was the final straw that broke the camel\u2019s back for the club’s hierarchy as they axed Gerrard after just 11 months in charge.<\/p>\n
It was a sorry spectacle as Gerrard and his players had been booed off at full-time by Villa’s furious fans after the loss at Fulham extended their winless run to four matches.<\/p>\n
“Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that head coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect,” a statement said.<\/p>\n
“We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”<\/p>\n
Gerrard had led Villa to a 14th-place finish last term after arriving from Rangers to replace Dean Smith who was sacked last November on a three-and-a-half year contract.<\/p>\n
The former Liverpool and England star had been handed the reins to push Villa higher up the table this season, but instead now leaves with the club firmly ensnared in a messy relegation battle.<\/p>\n
Despite having won the Scottish title with Rangers in 2021, ending Celtic’s long period of dominance, Gerrard has been unable to build on that impressive work since moving to Villa Park, failing to win over the club’s supporters with some lackluster performances.<\/p>\n
Although he had been given significant transfer backing, including a swoop for Barcelona’s former playmaker and former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho, Gerrard was unable to deliver the “continuous improvement” that Villa chief executive Christian\u00a0Purslow demanded.<\/p>\n
Injuries to summer signings Diego Carlos\u00a0 and Boubacar Kamara, as well as left-back Lucas Digne,\u00a0also did not aid Gerrard\u2019s cause.<\/p>\n
Speaking at his post-match press conference after the Fulham game, Gerrard had vowed to save his job.<\/p>\n
“I’m a fighter, I will never, ever quit anything whether it’s football or in life. We will see what happens. I’ll continue to fight unless I’m told differently,” he said.<\/p>\n
However barely minutes after the beleaguered manager had spoken to the media, Villa announced his sacking. Gerrard won just 13 of his 40 games in charge of Villa, losing 19 of those matches.<\/p>\n
This is undoubtedly a major blow to Gerrard’s managerial career after the Liverpool legend had been tipped as a potential long-term successor to current Reds boss Jurgen Klopp at Anfield following his success with Rangers.<\/p>\n
With a reputation tarnished by his disappointing spell with Villa, Gerrard must now bide his time as he waits for the right opportunity to bounce back from this temporary setback.<\/p>\n
Villa\u2019s billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are reportedly prepared to pay one of the highest salaries in the Premier League to land a top replacement for Gerrard and former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the post, along with ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.<\/p>\n
Whether Pochettino or Tuchel could be persuaded to join a club in Villa’s perilous position remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
Other contenders allegedly include Villarreal coach Unai Emery, who had Premier League experience with Arsenal, and former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, a veteran of numerous relegation battles with the Clarets.<\/p>\n
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