On Thursday, Aston Villa appointed former-Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard as their head coach. The 41-year-old has signed a three-and-half-year deal with the Villans.
Gerrard left reigning Scottish champions Rangers to make the move to the Midlands. He had impressed as the Teddy Bears boss since his appointment in June 2018, illustrating his coaching skills by leading his team to the SPL title last season, ending arch-rivals Celtic’s long dominance in the Scottish top-flight.
Steven Gerrard's first words as the new Head Coach of Aston Villa Football Club. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/RwOQFqckU0— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 11, 2021
Steven Gerrard's first words as the new Head Coach of Aston Villa Football Club. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/RwOQFqckU0
The fact that he was able to secure Rangers 55th league title and help the club progress is a good sign for his new team, who are badly in need of a boost.
Villa are currently in 16th place in the Premier League table, despite what looked to be a decent summer in the transfer market.
Of late the likes of playmaker Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey, and Danny Ings have really struggled for form since their arrivals, despite all three being highly-rated players.
Gerrard has proven with certain players at Rangers that he can motivate and get the best out of his charges. Although he has impressed in the Scottish top-flight, his appointment is seen by many as a gamble.
The Rangers job was the only senior managerial role of his career so far.
Gerrard’s previous job was working in Liverpool’s academy. Some have claimed that the former England midfielder has only got the job because of his high profile.
However, that would be harsh as the job he did in the SPL was surely enough to earn him a chance in the English top-flight. It could be argued that the appointment could go either way in terms of success.
From what he has shown so far at Rangers though, Gerrard could well be a good fit for a talented Villa squad in need of direction and inspiration.