In the 12th round of the English Premier League, Aston Villa lost 0-3 away to Fulham, suffering four consecutive defeats, and only three points above the relegation zone in the standings. After the game, Villa officially announced that head coach Stephen Gerrard was sacked. This is Gerrard's 40th game in charge of Villa, and his record is 13 wins, 8 draws and 19 defeats, with a win percentage of just 325%。At £15.2 million, he ranks fourth in the world, behind Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel and Simeone.
Steven Gerrard is a Liverpool legend who has led the Reds to the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and many other honours, and is the heart of the England national team. He began his coaching career after retiring in 2016. He first coached Liverpool's youth team before taking over Glasgow Rangers in the 2018 Premier League, helping them break Celtic's nine-game winning streak and win the 2020/21 Premier League title.
In November 2021, Steven Gerrard was invited to become Villa's manager, replacing the sacked Dean Smith. Villa, who finished 14th in the Premier League last season, have higher expectations this season. Villa sold key player Grealish in the summer in exchange for a £100 million transfer fee, brought in quality players such as Buendia, Ings and Pele, and also strengthened the squad on loan in the winter window, such as Coutinho, Digne and Chambers. Steven Gerrard is aiming to lead Villa to a European place and could even challenge for a top-four finish.
However, Gerrard's tenure at Villa has not been smooth, with the team's results consistently poor and the players' form inconsistent. Steven Gerrard clashed with captain Mins which resulted in the latter being sent off and stripped of the captain's armband. Steven Gerrard's tactical set-up has also been questioned, with his side lacking attacking threat and defensively shaky. Villa have won just one of their 11 Premier League games this season, and that was in the second round in August, beating Newcastle 2-0 at home. Since then, Villa have managed just three draws and lost six games, including heavy defeats against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. Villa's points have also been hovering around the relegation zone, disappointing fans and management.
Ahead of this Premier League fixture, there were rumours that Steven Gerrard could be sacked after this round of fixtures, with the promoted side currently sitting bottom of the table if Villa are unable to beat Fulham on the road. As a result, Villa played very poorly in the game, being completely suppressed by Fulham, falling behind 0-2 in the first half, and being scored again in the second half to lose 3-0. After the game, Villa officially announced that Gerrard was sacked with immediate effect. Villa officials said they would like to thank Gerrard for his hard work and wish him all the best for the future. It is reported that Villa's assistant coach McAllister will take over the team for the time being until a new head coach is found.
Gerrard's dismissal at Villa has sparked attention and discussion from the outside world. It has been argued that Gerrard is a good player but not a qualified coach, that his results in the Premier League do not prove his ability, and that his defeat at Villa has exposed his inadequacies. Some people believe that Gerrard is a coach with potential, but his time at Villa is too short, he does not have enough opportunities and patience, and his failure at Villa is also related to many factors such as players, management, referees, etc. Some argue that Gerrard is an ambitious coach, but he aims too high at Villa and does not take into account the strength of the team and the fierce competition, and his defeat at Villa is also a lesson and experience.
Gerrard's dismissal at Villa has also made people curious about his future. There has been speculation that Steven Gerrard could return to the Premier League or go to other Premier League or mid-table teams in Europe to restart his coaching career. There has been speculation that Steven Gerrard may take a break from coaching or move to other countries or regions in search of new challenges and opportunities. There has been speculation that Steven Gerrard may wait for Liverpool's call, or go to other big clubs or strong teams to fulfill his dream of coaching.
In any case, Gerrard's tenure at Villa has become a stain on his coaching career, as well as a stake on his prestige and credibility. His annual salary is as high as 15.2 million pounds, and he has also become the object of ridicule and questioning.