Aston Villa relieve Steven Gerrard – Thomas Frank favorite to succeed?
·3 min read
In charge for 40 games
Premier League club Aston Villa have relieved Steven Gerrard from his managerial duties. “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future,” a short club statement read on Villa’s homepage. Villa had won just two of their first 11 Premier League games this season. The Athletic reported on Thursday that Brentford’s Thomas Frank is one of the early favorites to take over the job.
The news broke just 90 minutes after Aston Villa’s 3-0 defeat to newly promoted Fulham, and it is understood that Gerrard did not voluntarily step down from his role. “It’s tough, but I’m a man, I accept it, I understand it,” Gerrard said just moments after his club’s defeat when asked about his future while also adding that he is ready to continue. “We’ll see what happens. I’m a fighter; I will never ever quit anything. Quitting is not in my DNA. But the reality is that it’s not good enough for this club.”
Gerrard’s dedication to Villa, however, were not enough. Signed in November 2021, Gerrard did manage to avoid relegation with Aston Villa last season, but his record this season has been a disappointment. Aston Villa have lost the last four games in a row and are currently in 17th place in the Premier League. In charge over 40 games, Gerrard averaged just 1.18 points per game with Villa. Gerrard spent €70 million on new players in the off-season but has been unable to replicate the success he had with Rangers, with whom he won the Scottish title in 2021.
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