Tim Sherwood has claimed that the Aston Villa’s manager job would be ‘attractive’ to Mauricio Pochettino, but he thinks Steven Gerrard should be given more time instead, as he told talkSPORT on Tuesday morning.
Pressure is mounting on Gerrard at Villa Park, and it now seems he is going to enter the most critical week of his, so far, dull-as-dishwater, stubborn and morale-sapping tenure in the Midlands.
Villa will travel to London to take on Fulham in a Thursday night Premier League clash, before hosting Thomas Frank’s Brentford on Sunday – even if positive results were to come out of that, it seems as though Gerrard’s days are numbered, as reported by The Telegraph.
If Gerrard, who has won only two games from ten this season, were to get sacked, then it seems Villa will move ‘heaven and earth’ to try and lure former Tottenham and PSG boss, Pochettino to B6.
Given that Villa aren’t in Europe, then it would be some coup if Pochettino were to take their managerial reigns because they have the money to throw at him.
Either way, with talk of Gerrard’s future hitting the headlines during the last 24 hours and Pochettino’s name popping on the radar, this is what one former Villa boss had to say about the matter.
“It has been a slow-burner for Stevie,” said Sherwood. “I love the way he talks. I think he’s genuine – he needs to find the right team and stick to it. But it’s very difficult. I have been there.
“He needs to get all his top players back (Carlos, Kamara and Digne). And then he needs to find the XI that can go forward for him. They are struggling to score goals and Danny Ings needs to be involved.
“It can be the best environment, Villa Park. The crowd gets with you. They call themselves the 12th man and they can be. But you need brave players when it’s not going your way – the two games coming up are winnable. If Stevie wins the next two, then they are looking at the top six – I believe he’s the correct man for the job. I think it’s too early to talk about him losing his job.
On the Pochettino links: “It’s difficult when Mauricio is on the market (if you are a manager in a job). You just want him to go and get a job somewhere else.
“It’s a job that would be attractive to Mauricio. It’s a big club. A huge football club. The opportunity to go and manage at Villa, with the finances that they have, would be a great opportunity. I think you (Gerrard) blank it out. You don’t listen to it. You know you are under pressure. Steven doesn’t need a newspaper to tell him.”
KICKING THE PROVERBIAL CAN DOWN THE ROAD
Even if Villa pick up points this week, it’s simply delaying the inevitable and that’s Gerrard getting the sack further down the line.
Aside from his first six games, he has shown that he just isn’t cut for the Villa Park hot seat and he shouldn’t have replaced Dean Smith in the first place.
During his time at the club, Gerrard has managed 37 games, picking up 44 points, winning 12 matches, drawing eight and losing 17.
Added with that, they have scored 45 and conceded 47 during that period, which is just surviving relegation form.
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