Eleven months into his job as Aston Villa head coach, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been sacked from his position after a terrible start to the Premier League season. The Villans have won just two of their 12 Premier League outings so far this season and are dangerously close to the relegation zone.
The decision came in the immediate aftermath of a 3-0 loss to newly-promoted side Fulham after a drab and underwhelming display.
Harrison Reed and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored for the hosts, while Tyrone Mings put the ball into his own net to put Villa out of their misery in a game where their midfielder Douglas Luiz was sent off in the second half.
“Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that head coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.
“We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
a statement released after the match read:
On Friday, Villa confirmed coaches Gary McAllister, Neil Critchley, Tom Culshaw, Jordan Milsom and Scott Mason have also left the club following the sacking of Gerrard.
Aston Villa will be temporarily managed by Aaron Danks. The former England U21 and Anderlecht assistant coach will lead the side for the home Premier League fixture against Brentford on Sunday.
Premier League legend and one of the greatest English midfielders of all time, Gerrard had been appointed as the manager of the side after replacing Dean Smith in November 2021. However, his reign lasted less than a year as Villa failed to make any significant improvements and have also suffered uncharacteristically this season.
He has also become the fourth top-flight manager to lose his job this season, following Scott Parker (Bournemouth), Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea) and Bruno Lage (Wolverhampton).
Rumours have linked former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino to the managerial hot seat at Villa Park, but the Argentine is thought to be too ambitious for the Premier League side.
