MANCHESTER, England ( Associated Press) – Steven Gerrard has barely finished telling reporters that he will continue to fight to see Aston Villa in action when the announcement comes to light.
“Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Steven Gerrard is leaving the team with immediate effect,” the team said in a statement on Thursday. “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment, and we wish him the very best for the future.”
It was particularly brutal that Gerrard was allowed to appear in front of the cameras to defend his position, which, as it seemed, sealed his fate minutes earlier, with a 3-0 beating of Fulham. was given.
Villa supporters called for his dismissal after a result that left the team just above the relegation zone.
“It’s tough,” Gerard told Amazon Prime. “I’m a man, I’ll admit it, I feel your disappointment and I’m disappointed too. Personally, it’s been a tough night. We’ll see what happens. I’m a warrior. I’m into football or I will never give up anything in life.”
Fulham fans mocked Gerard with a chant: “They kick you out in the morning.”
Villa’s patience had run out even earlier. Thus concluded Gerard’s administration after less than a year in office, amid growing speculation that the Argentine intended Mauricio Pochettino as the successor.
The downfall was quick for Gerard, who led Rangers to the Scottish title during his first venture as manager. Some believed that his future one day lay in his beloved Liverpool.
After Villa’s inability to halt the decline, the road to that goal now seems long, which began in March and includes just four wins in the last 22 Premier League games.
His team lacked confidence against Fulham, and the defeat left them level on points with Wolverhampton in 18th place.
Harrison Reid and Alexander Mitrovic gave their team control of the match that night when Douglas Luiz was sent out and Tyrone Mings scored his own goal.
While Gerrard’s tenure ended with more sadness than glory, Brendan Rodgers, his former manager at Liverpool, is giving some hope to Leicester fans, who feared the worst a few weeks ago.
A 2–0 win against Leeds lifted Rodgers’s side from the bottom of the table and he was moved to within one point of Villa.
For the first time Leicester is looking forward to this campaign. He has scored seven of his eight points in his last four games, which shows that Rodgers is fixing the ship that seemed to be sinking.
And the lower part of the premire is very congested. Just three points separate 13th-placed West Ham from 19th-placed Leicester. Under these conditions, Rodgers must have had higher expectations.
A goal from Robin Koch and a shot from Harvey Barnes doomed a disinterested Leeds defeat, sitting above the relegation zone on goal difference alone.
wolves waiting
If Villa were in a hurry to make a change, Wolverhampton, another team struggling with relegation, preferred to be patient.
Caretaker Steve Davies will remain as manager until the new year, the club confirmed on Thursday, after Queens Park Rangers’ Michael Beale turned down the chance to transfer.
“We have no plans to accelerate our search for a new permanent head coach, nor will we compromise in any way our strategy to hire the person we think will help our club, our roster and Wolves are right for the manager role,” said Wolves president Jeff Shi.
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