Steven Gerrard sends a message to Aston Villa fans wanting him gone as pressure continues to grow on his future at the club.
Gerrard is the one facing the boo-boys with some of the Villa support at Nottingham Forest on Monday night voicing their angst after a second disappointing draw left them three points above the relegation zone.
“I still feel new, fresh, full of energy. I want to [manage] for longer because I enjoy it, but I’ve got to keep proving I can do this, that’s the daily challenge I live with,” Gerrard told Sky Sports ahead of their meeting with Chelsea at Villa Park live on Super Sunday.
“I think Graham very much deserves this opportunity at Chelsea after some trauma and difficult periods at Brighton, he managed to get them where he wanted to in the league. Graham fronted it, he came through that, he was given the time to come through it and he’s proved that there are good coaches out there.
“That’s what I want to prove here. I want to prove that I can move this team up the league, that we can compete in the top half of the league and that’s the challenge that faces me right now.”
Villa are unbeaten in their last four, however it’s the lack of excitement in their performances, that is leaving fans miffed. Four defeats from their opening five matches didn’t help that.
“If everyone was fit and available, we’d be a lot closer,” said Gerrard. “We did inherit a group, we’ve tried to support and keep pushing and challenging those individuals. We’ve moved a lot on to try and give them opportunities.
“We’ve recruited certain individuals of a higher level of player to try and improve things and move us forward as quick as we can. We’ve had some rotten luck but that’s part of the game, it’s certainly not an excuse. I believe when we’ve got everyone fit and available and in a good place, I don’t think we’re too far away.”
On dealing with this kind of pressure before: “I lived with a lot of pressure and demand for three and a half years [at Rangers]. I’m a better manager and person on the back of that. It improved me immensely.
“At Rangers and Celtic you have to win [the title]. This is a different challenge, I took over a team two points above relegation and on the back of five defeats…the idea is, with time, to develop us and have us operating in a completely different area of the league. We don’t believe we’re too far away from that.
“At the same time, we have to take responsibility for where we’re at right now. I’m very much aware of that, you can’t keep saying ifs and buts. It’s small margins but we need to prove we can take maximum points off one of these big teams. We need to try and find that level of performance. If we do, things will look a lot brighter.”
Villa will take confidence from fighting back against Manchester City to earn a 1-1 draw at the start of this unbeaten run.
“We very much spoke about that going into the City game because we weren’t happy with some of the running numbers previously, especially the game against Bournemouth at the start of the season,” he added.
“But four games ago we proved we can mix it with City in different ways and with all these top sides you have to match them from a physical point of view because if you don’t, the quality will shine through in the end. It’s very important we try to compete with every team from a running and statistical point of view.
“We know we’re the underdogs against Chelsea, playing against world class players with a new manager who are in a good place. We have to accept all those challenges that will come our way but with a Villa Park that’s rocking and the team really confident with belief we can take something from the game, that’s the way we want to approach it.
“We need to find a top level performance or we’re not going to take something from the game.”
Steven Gerrard believes Aston Villa’s game against Chelsea this weekend is an exciting opportunity to prove people wrong as pressure around his job grows 💪 pic.twitter.com/2Pk1hEl5L6
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 14, 2022
The head coach acknowledges that now is the time to get results. Questioned if he is demanding patience from above, Gerrard said in his pre-match press conference: “I am asking for that, of course, but at the same time I’m aware that our results should and could have been better.
“Especially in the last two and, maybe in some people’s eyes, they’d have seen some progression and see us closer to where we need to get to.”
He then explained: “If we’d scored against Forest – I’m saying if here and I understand we’re not. For example, if Phil’s (Coutinho) strike goes in off the post and we beat Leeds 1-0, or we don’t concede a set-piece (vs Forest) and John McGinn decides to volley that instead of a diving header from 16 centimetres…
“I know all the lines that will come, if my auntie was my uncle and all of that, but we’d be sitting here in ninth and it’s a moment. It’s a small margin, it’s a perspective. It’s a small moment and we’d be ninth.
“I took over this team 16th, two points above relegation off the back of five defeats. Five defeats. So, in my eyes, I can see and feel a progression and realise how close we are and we need to change and fire on all cylinders in the final third. But I can see it being close to seeing the progression.
“I also appreciate that where we look now in the table and people’s opinions and blah, blah, I can understand the pressure, criticism and where the frustration comes from. I’m not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, for sure.”
Here’s how Twitter users reacted as Steven Gerrard sends a message to Aston Villa fans wanting him gone…
@themightyi21: We are in same position, play worse football and the connection between team, fans & manager is rock bottom.
@WarrenKTBFFH:
Villa will get smashed
Gerrard is a fraud
@jason84woods: I feel like I’ve read this tweet for the last 6 games
@matty__jeff: Bro, we’re still 16th and 2 points off relegation 🤣 Off the back of drawing against 10 men and the worst team in the premier league.
@avfc_tomprice: *proceeds to be 16th & 2 points above relegation a year on
@1874si: 5 defeat as after… check notes… dragging a shambles up from something like 15th in The second tier to 3 years back in PL. So don’t be playing that card son. That was progress
@ElpyUTV: Unsure how much more proof of lack of progress they want. Still 16th in table. But, now it’s minus the fan-club connection, the better football on the eye, and the honesty from the club itself. Regression rather than progression. Every second more he’s here, it gets worse. 3-0 😂
@utv_chris: I agree with stevie here….. he has improved us massively in every way. could not be prouder to have a man who took us from the dismal lows of 16th to the dizzying absolutely world beating, stupendous position of 16th one year and 2 transfer windows later. truly incredible work.
@AssonRichard: This worries me as it’s a silly statement. We don’t have a style of play we hardly create chances let alone score goals every game we look dull uninspired and more likely to get relegated so where is the progression
@deab1971: I’ve had a good think about this. I’m amiable person. I give everyone a chance. However, my patience is exhausted. Be gone and go quickly.
@VillansOpinions: We are literally 16th and suffered a 5 game run of 4 losses and 1 draw under his leadership. If by progression, he means worse performances, shot confidence on and off the pitch, alienating fans while ruining their relationship with the club… Sure, there’s plenty of progression
@MarcWri36670822: I can understand his desperation to succeed as if it fails he’s left on the scrap heap but for me I’m sick of these mediocre managers the owners have been fantastic in every other area let’s go that extra step on bringing in a world class management team
@Villasince82: Off his fucking trolley he is. We are back where he found us after a wasted year full of nothing.
@Rjshannon93: This bloke is so fucking thick, progression? We’re in exactly the same position that we were in when he took over and that was a year ago so the fact that he is the only person that can “see & feel progression” just says it all.
🤷🏼♂️ #avfc pic.twitter.com/t8jc3jIahp
— Alex Berwick (@Alex_Berwick) October 15, 2022
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