Former Poland international Radoslaw Kaluzny could hardly believe his ears when he heard that Paulo Sousa was in contention for the Aston Villa job following the departure of Dean Smith in November?
“The Premier League is waiting for Sousa to finish his job with our (Polish) national team? And then (English clubs) will go after him? Please…” Kaluzny chuckles.
“I don’t know who writes such stories. Barcelona wanted me but there was one problem… they didn’t know I existed.”
Aston Villa are certainly aware Sousa’s existence.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Midland giants even went as far as to identify the former QPR, Swansea City and Leicester coach as a potential replacement for Smith before opting instead to hand Steven Gerrard on a deal until the summer of 2024.
Interestingly, Sousa was also linked back in 2018 too, after Steve Bruce ran for the hills under a barrage of flying cabbages.
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Five months on, a bright start to life under the ex-Rangers coach has given way to fear and frustration. Four successive defeats – including Saturday’s 4-0 capitulation at home to Tottenham Hotspur – have taken a sledgehammer to Villa’s hopes of a first top-half finish since the days of Ashley Young, Stiliyan Petrov and a fresh-faced Kyle Walker.
But there is no suggestion that Gerrard is in danger of the chop, just a sixth of the way through his three-and-a-half year deal. The same cannot be said of Sousa though.
Sousa upped sticks and left the Polish national team after their failure to qualify automatically for the World Cup and became the latest in an ever-lengthening line of Portuguese coaches to try their hand at Brazilian football.
Under pressure
But, while compatriots Jorge Jesus and Abel Ferreira have tasted continental glory in South America, Sousa’s Flamengo reign could be about to end in ignominy.
“Paulo Sousa has to be given time,” Brazilian journalist Jose Trajano tells UOL, while highlighting the problems the 51-year-old is encountering behind the scenes after stepping into the boots of club legend Jesus.
“He is imposing certain rules that these Flamengo kids, very meddlesome, very full of themselves, are a little reticent (towards). The team is not responding (to Sousa). Flamengo has a serious problem.”
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The pressure for Jesus to return to a club he led to an unprecedented treble back in 2019 is becoming difficult to ignore.
Sousa can only hope his bosses at Flamengo are as understanding as Nayef Sawiris and Wes Edens at Villa Park.
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