Aston Villa has announced the sacking of their manager, Steven Gerrard, after an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Fulham in the English Premier League (EPL).
Truetells Nigeria reports that Gerrard’s sacking did not come as a surprise to many as the former Rangers manager has guided his team to just one point above relegation in the league.
In a terse statement on its official website, Aston Villa announced that Gerrard left the club with immediate effect.
A club spokesman said: “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
Gerrard won just 13 of his 40 games in charge of Villa, losing 19 of those matches.
Villa have won only two of their 11 league matches this term prompting the board to sack Gerrard after just 11 months in charge.
Recall that Gerrard led Villa to a 14th-place finish last term after arriving from Rangers to replace the sacked Dean Smith last November on a three-and-a-half year contract.
Gerrard won the Scottish title with Rangers in 2021, ending Celtic’s long period of dominance.
Villa midfielder and captain, John McGinn insisted Gerrard wasn’t to blame for the team’s plight.
He said after the defeat to Fulham that, “It’s embarrassing to be part of. We’ve let the travelling fans down and let the manager down.
“It doesn’t matter who is in charge of that team. It’s nothing to do with the manager – the players have to look at themselves in the mirror.
“The support are very demanding. You’re playing at a top level and if you’re not performing, you get criticised.”
Gerrard’s Possible Replacements
Former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, as well ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, have been tipped to replace the English man at Aston Villa.
Other contenders could 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.