Just 11 games into the Premier League season and a little more than an hour after the team’s embarrassing loss to Fulham, Steven Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa.
Villa had a difficult start to the season, and the defeat dropped them to 17th place in the standings after a run of only one victory in their previous nine Premier League contests.
The away fans turned on Gerrard after Villa lost to Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage, yelling, “You’re getting sacked in the morning” and “You’ll never work again” at the former Liverpool captain.
And shortly after Villa’s defeat, the club confirmed in a 42-word statement that Gerrard had left the club immediately. A spokesperson added: “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 20, 2022
Aston Villa under Steven Gerrard
After a remarkable tenure at Rangers, which included the club’s first Scottish Premiership title in a decade and preventing rivals Celtic from winning their 10th straight league championship, Gerrard came to the Midlands in November to replace Dean Smith.
The 42-year-old managed Villa to finish 14th in the Premier League last season, keeping them out of danger of relegation.
Diego Carlos of Sevilla and Philippe Coutinho, a former playmaker for Liverpool and Barcelona, were two of the club’s star purchases. Still, Carlos ruptured his Achilles tendon and missed months of action, while Coutinho hasn’t been in his best form.
Not only were Villa’s fans dissatisfied with the results, but they also felt that Gerrard and his coaching staff had encouraged an ugly style of play. Even the rare strong performance, like that against Chelsea at Villa Park on Sunday, seemed to lack a consistent configuration or identity.
After being adored at Anfield and Ibrox, Gerrard found himself in the rare situation of needing to win over doubtful Villa supporters. It was the battle he had never won.
Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard now have ????? win percentages than Gary Neville at his time in Valencia ?? pic.twitter.com/gvcmzhlVcy
— LiveScore (@livescore) October 20, 2022
Who are the contenders to replace Steven Gerrard?
Following the club’s acquisition by Saudi Arabia in October of last year, Unai Emery was Newcastle’s first option to succeed Steve Bruce. Still, the former Arsenal manager pulled himself out of the running.
The 50-year-old has had a wildly successful run at Villarreal, leading the Spanish team to Europa League triumph in 2020–21 and then advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals the following year.
After following Gerrard from Scottish Premiership team Rangers to Villa Park the previous season, Mick Beale joined Queens Park Rangers in June. Following the firing of Bruno Lage last month, Wolves formally contacted the west London club to talk with Beale, but the 42-year-old turned down the position.
Sean Dyche, a resident of the Midlands, has been jobless since leaving Burnley in April. However, the English manager made an impression during his 10-year stay at Turf Moor, demonstrating his ability to perform under more complex financial conditions.
Thomas Frank took Brentford into the Premier League for the first time in their history and helped them to a creditable 13th-place finish last term as they held their own in the top flight.
Mauricio Pochettino has remained jobless since being fired by Paris St-Germain in July of last year, even though the club saw him win the first two management championships.
Pochettino guided Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final in Madrid, where Liverpool beat them. He also lost the 2015 League Cup final to Chelsea before finishing runners-up to their London rivals in the Premier League in 2016-17.
