Aston Villa have confirmed that Steven Gerrard has left the club just hours after our heavy defeat to Fulham on Thursday night.
Villa fell to a 3-0 loss at Craven Cottage and a dejected Gerrard spoke to the media shortly after and was unable to give a definitive answer on his future while insisting that he wouldn’t quit and would keep fighting.
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As per the club’s official statement though, his time has now come to an end as Villa confirmed the decision to part company with him with immediate effect, and so now the search for his successor begins.
“We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future,” the statement added.
Given the decision to pull the plug on Gerrard’s tenure so soon after the game and with such a quick turnaround before our next outing against Brentford on Sunday, it’s fair to assume that some planning had gone into this potential outcome depending on the result against Fulham.
The statement doesn’t mention our coaching staff and who will take temporary charge at the weekend, and so perhaps the Villa hierarchy are hopeful of making a speedy appointment.
Time will tell if that’s the case, but according to the Daily Mail, Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are already assessing possible replacements and their ambition is clear as it’s noted that they are prepared to pay one of the highest salaries in the Premier League to land their ideal target.
Further, it’s added that they are known to admire Mauricio Pochettino, but time will tell if they can convince him to take the job as whoever takes over now firstly has a challenge to steady the ship in the coming weeks and months and get us away from the bottom three in the Premier League.
Beyond that, the ambition and objective for the club is clear. As we continue with exciting plans off the pitch regarding the stadium, getting back into Europe is the main aim in the coming years. While we’re miles off that right now, appointing a Pochettino level figure, or Thomas Tuchel who is also named in the report, would be a game-changer.
As per The Telegraph, Thomas Frank is another option that Villa’s owners admire, but again, it’s unclear if he can be convinced to leave Brentford at this stage given the fine work he’s doing there.
The decision to move on from Gerrard was the right one. Now the club need to get the next decision spot on too. The owners are ambitious and want to see progression and a return on their investment after a failed 11-month stint with our now former boss, and so the next appointment is a critical moment in their tenure too.
