Pro Sports

Gerrard's Villa reign ends as Rodgers gives Leicester hope

Posted October 20, 2022 7:00 am

By JAMES ROBSON

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard looks dejected after the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage in London, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (John Walton/PA via AP) The Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Steven Gerrard had only just finished telling interviewers he would fight on at Aston Villa when the announcement came.

'œAston Villa Football Club can confirm that head coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect,'ť the club said in a statement Thursday. 'œWe would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.'ť

It felt particularly cruel that Gerrard would be thrust in front of the cameras to defend his position if, as appears, his fate had already been sealed by a 3-0 loss to Fulham minutes earlier.

Villa fans had called for him to be fired after a result that left his team just above the relegation zone.

'œIt's tough,'ť he told Amazon Prime. 'œI'm a man, I accept it, I feel their frustrations, I'm frustrated. It was a tough night for me personally.

'œWe will see what happens. I'm a fighter, I will never, ever quit anything whether it's football or in life.'ť

Fulham fans had mercilessly taunted Gerrard with chants of 'œSacked in the morning.'ť

They underestimated the speed with which Villa would act - ending his reign after less than a year in charge, amid growing speculation that Mauricio Pochettino is the dream target to replace him.

It has been a rapid fall from grace for Gerrard, who led Rangers to the Scottish title in his first job in management and was tipped to take charge at his beloved Liverpool in the future.

It could be a long way back for him now after failing to arrest Villa's slide, which began back in March and has resulted in just four wins in the last 22 Premier League games.

His team looked devoid of confidence against Fulham and defeat left it level on points with Wolverhampton in 18th.

Harrison Reed and Aleksandar Mitrovic put the home team in control on a night when Douglas Luiz was sent off and Tyrone Mings also put one into his own net.

While Gerrard's reign has come to a sorry end, his former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is providing a glimmer of hope to Leicester fans who were fearing the worst just a few weeks ago.

A 2-0 win against Leeds moved Rodgers' team off the foot of the Premier League and to within a point of Villa.

For the first time this season, Leicester is looking upward in hope, rather than despondency.

Seven of its eight points this term have been picked up in the last four games to suggest Rodgers has turned a corner after such a desperate start.

And with the bottom of the table so congested, with just three points separating 13th-placed West Ham and Leicester in 19th, Rodgers will believe he can continue to move in the right direction.

An own goal from Robin Koch and then a Harvey Barnes strike saw off an uninspired Leeds, which is above the relegation zone on goal difference only.

WOLVES WAIT

If Villa was in a hurry to make a change, Midlands rival and fellow relegation struggler Wolverhampton has decided to take a more patient approach to a new appointment.

Caretaker boss Steve Davis will stay in charge until the new year, the club confirmed Thursday after QPR head coach Michael Beale rejected the chance to move to Molineux.

'œWe have no plans to rush our search for a new permanent head coach and will not compromise in any way our approach to appointing the person we believe to be the perfect fit for our club, our squad and the role of head coach at Wolves,'ť said chairman Jeff Shi.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup

___

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz, right, and Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage in London, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (John Walton/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard, center, looks on during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage in London, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (John Walton/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Fulham's Antonee Robinson, center, and Aston Villa's Jaden Philogene-Bidace battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage in London, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (John Walton/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Fulham celebrate after Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings scores an own goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage in London, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (John Walton/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Leicester City's Harvey Barnes scores during the English Premier League soccer match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Thursday Oct. 20, 2022. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Leicester City's Timothy Castagne, left, and Leeds United's Junior Firpo in action battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Thursday Oct. 20, 2022. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy, left, and Leeds United's Diego Llorente battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, England, Thursday Oct. 20, 2022. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.