Think realistically Aston Villa should be minimum in top half next season, claims Steven Gerrard
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has high hopes for next season as he believes that the team should be higher up the table and push towards challenging for a top-six place. The Villains could potentially finish ninth should they win their final league game and results elsewhere go their way.
With Dean Smith struggling to cope following Jack Grealishâs departure, it saw the Aston Villa boss sacked a mere eleven games into the season with Villa now in a relegation fight. However, ever since Steven Gerrard walked in to replace him, there has been a change in the atmosphere at the club. The Villians have been a picture of inconsistency but at the same time have found a groove under the former Rangersâ boss.
However, while they still need time and new additions to improve even further, the optimism surrounding the club has been impressive with many fans pleased at the direction. Yet despite that, Gerrard believes that things should be improving even more next season and has placed a top-half finish as their target. The Villa boss also added that this squad is good enough to be challenging and should âpush towards the top sixâ.
"Higher up the table (when asked as to where he sees Aston Villa six months from now). I think realistically we should be at minimum in the top half. Minimum. We want to go and push up towards the top six and we want better runs in the cup competitions. That is where I want to be. I want to be in both cups and I want to be in a higher place up the table,â Gerrard told Sky Sports.
However, having already made Philippe Coutinhoâs loan move permanent, the excitement around the Aston Villa fanbase is all around how Gerrard will improve the team even further. But the former Rangers boss admitted that while they are âlooking to upgrade the elevenâ, they also need to keep âworking with your players, trying to improve themâ.
"There are areas of the team where we are blessed and lucky to have some top talent but there are also areas where we believe we can get stronger and better. Let's just leave it pretty vague and say we are looking to upgrade the eleven. I think the spine of the team needs some support.
"You can never stop working with your players, trying to improve them. But sometimes individual errors are on the individuals. If things don't change you are left with no choice. You either change them with someone else in the building or you upgrade them,â he added.Â