Don’t believe we’re too far from our ideas of where we want Aston Villa, proclaims Steven Gerrard
Despite Aston Villa’s poor run of form, Steven Gerrard has revealed that he believes the club are on the right road to achieve their goals. The Englishman also added that the club have struggled with injuries this term and that hasn’t helped their form or showings on the field so far.
Ever since Aston Villa lost Jack Grealish to Manchester City, few clubs have struggled more than the Villians as they have failed to cope after the loss of their key star. However, while it did cost Dean Smith his job, Steven Gerrard was appointed as his replacement and the initial signs showed that the former Rangers boss had what it takes. But after a heavy spending summer, the Villians have shown little sign of improving this term, with just two wins in their opening nine league games.
It has seen pressure pile on Gerrard and reports have indicated that the Englishman could be one of the many managers in the league set to face the sack soon. But the 42-year-old admitted that he has lived with pressure all his managerial career and that his time in Scotland helped him learn how to deal with it a lot better. Gerrard also added that he and those at Aston Villa believe that they are not too far away from their goals but need to take responsibility for their current form.
"I lived with a lot of pressure and demand for three and a half years [at Rangers]. I'm a better manager and person on the back of that. It improved me immensely. At Rangers and Celtic you have to win [the title]. This is a different challenge, I took over a team two points above relegation and on the back of five defeats…the idea is, with time, to develop us and have us operating in a completely different area of the league. We don't believe we're too far away from that," Gerrard said, reported Sky Sports.
"At the same time, we have to take responsibility for where we're at right now. I'm very much aware of that, you can't keep saying ifs and buts. It's small margins but we need to prove we can take maximum points off one of these big teams. We need to try and find that level of performance. If we do, things will look a lot brighter."
Injuries haven’t been kind to Villa this term with goalkeeper Jed Steer, new signings Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara, and Lucas Digne all out with various knocks. Not only that, Matty Cash, Danny Ings and a few others have been in and out of the team which hasn’t helped either. It saw Gerrard reveal that if they did have a fully fit squad, things might have been different. But while they’ve had bad luck, the Englishman added that they need to improve their performances.
"If everyone was fit and available, we'd be a lot closer. We did inherit a group, we've tried to support and keep pushing and challenging those individuals. We've moved a lot on to try and give them opportunities. We've recruited certain individuals of a higher level of player to try and improve things and move us forward as quick as we can.
“We've had some rotten luck but that's part of the game, it's certainly not an excuse. I believe when we've got everyone fit and available and in a good place, I don't think we're too far away,” he added.