Opposition View-Aston Villa  

The Steven Gerrard legacy at Liverpool is etched in stone forevermore. But at Villa it could not be more different. Are you able to pinpoint what led to his downfall and if you felt the right decision was made to end his tenure?

 

I’d say it is difficult to say exactly what went wrong for Gerrard – it was more a combination of factors that led to his sacking. The obvious reason is that results weren’t going his way and that’s sometimes fine if we were playing well, but we simply weren’t. The players looked immobilised in games and distinctly lacked a sense of freedom in their play. There were glimmers of an effective system during his tenure, but after 11 months in charge and two transfer windows, you’d expect to see the foundations of what he wanted to achieve.

 

He also struggled to form a healthy relationship with the Villa fanbase, which was half due to the inconsistency in results but additionally the way he handled himself in media conferences (see Cameron Archer question) and post-match where he’d refuse to acknowledge the fans for weeks on end.

 

His final match versus Fulham was really the cherry on top of what was a poor start to the 2022/23 campaign. He was unlucky with injuries at times, losing three players who he brought to the club (Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne) during an important period, but it just never looked like it was going to work out for him and so the decision to relieve him of his duties was certainly the right one in my opinion.

 

 

The media love a feel-good footballing story, but in the game we love there are very few fairytales. Over the years the narrative has been pushed that Gerrard is heir apparent to Jurgen Klopp. While journalists get paid good money to push storylines like this, the best judges are often fans.  The large consensus on TLW is that he is not the individual to follow Jurgen, and as true fans we just wouldn’t want to see him slated by the mob on Social Media constantly calling for his head if things go pear-shaped. As someone who has observed Gerrard’s managerial style from close quarters, what do you believe should be the next step for him, (perhaps something like a Championship club and build up his stock again?)

 

I think your majority consensus is correct and whilst Klopp’s job is such a difficult one to follow, I imagine you’d want an established man in who can somewhat follow suit. The Lampard at Chelsea scenario coincides here for me – of course the ‘legend-like status’ will never fade, but his legacy is somewhat tarnished at Stamford Bridge following his sacking and I feel that may happen to Gerrard if he was to be Klopp’s successor.

 

I think waiting it out and building up his stock as you said would be the next best step in his managerial career, especially if he hopes to manage Liverpool one day. Looking to do something similar to what Kompany appears to be doing with Burnley seems appropriate.

 

I’d say Gerrard should shoot for a high-end Championship job to gain promotion with and give the Premier League another go with a fanbase who are already behind him and trust in his methods. Whether that means waiting for the next season and cherry-picking one of the relegated sides or choosing a current Championship side who are struggling, such as Norwich.

 

From having a reasonably inexperienced manager in charge, your club have managed to sign someone of incredible pedigree on the European scene in Unai Emery. He is someone who has gone head to head  against Klopp in the Champions League with Sevilla and most recently Villarreal. And while his Arsenal experience was not a pleasant one, he appears to be motivated to put things right in the Premier League. How excited are the Villa fans that he chose your club to do that?

 

Us Villa fans are over the moon. On face value he appears to be just what we needed: an experienced man with proven tactical nous and a clear desire to win. This appointment epitomises the ambition of our owners who want success, mainly a trophy or Europe, and we all believe Emery can be the man to achieve that. After Gerrard’s sacking, there didn’t seem to be many immediate options in the managerial market and poaching Emery from a European-contesting club in Villarreal really surprised many of us.

 

He has stated that he hopes to make amends in the Premier League and prove himself in the best league in the world, so the fact he came to our club to do that is superb. He has made a bright start with two good league wins, but the performances and immediate impact on the team is the standout positive so far for me. We’re all hoping for a repeat of the 2015/16 Europa League final come Boxing Day!

 

 

Which player(s) do you think Emery would be looking forward to working with the most in your squad and what area of the pitch needs most work?

 

Leon Bailey is the name that pops into my head straight away. If I recall correctly, Emery tried to sign Leon from Leverkusen during his time at Arsenal and based on the success of Danjuma at Villarreal, I believe Bailey can be just as effective in this Emery system. So too can Emi Buendia, who is another player that many Villa fans feel they haven’t seen the best of yet. Emery turned Giovanni Lo Celso into a world-beater at Villarreal, so we’re hoping he can do the same with our Argentine playmaker.  

 

With that being said, the attack does need work. The Villa fanbase are divided when it comes to Ollie Watkins and his abilities, and based on reports, it looks like we’re in the market for a forward or wide player in January. The defense, especially centrally, is another area that needs looking at. Konsa and Mings, whilst fan favourites, are replaceable but hopefully the return of Diego Carlos in the next month or so will add that necessary quality at the back.

 

Emiliano Martinez played a pivotal in Argentina winning the World Cup and on face value seems to be a true character. Someone you truly love on your side and despise if you are in the opposition camp. What sort of leader is he in the Villa squad?

 

 

He is a superb leader and is one of the most valuable players in the side; a fan favourite too. When the captaincy was set to be changed ahead of the current season, many Villa fans hoped Martinez would be the man chosen for the armband.

 

He is everything you would want from a captain: vocal, loves the club and has character. He is contracted to 2027 and despite a great campaign in Qatar, it looks like he will be staying at the club. If all things go to plan and Emery gets us on the right path, I believe Martinez can continue to be a big player for us and possibly be the one to lead the side onto the pitch each week. 

 

It remains to be seen what effect (if any) the season hiatus has had on Premier League teams. Has the Villa coaching staff treated this period, like a mini pre-season?

 

Most definitely. It’s hard to say whether it came at a good time for Villa as we were on the back of two top victories in the league and so spirits were high in the camp, but it allowed for valuable time to be spent on the training ground and for the new staff to implement their playing styles and philosophies. We only had four players travel to Qatar, so Emery was able to work with most of the squad over in Dubai and prepare for the upcoming fixtures in the best way possible. Hopefully the break will have served us well!

 

Liverpool will be looking to make sure they rectify their inconsistencies from the first part of the season starting with this fixture. Emery is known to be meticulous in his preparation for games, so how do you think he will look to set up against the Reds?

 

As I previously stated, Emery has made a big difference in such a short space of time, with one of the improvements being the shape of the side out of possession. We line up in a rigid 4-4-2, making us hard to beat and break down, with the two wide men doubling up on the opposition wingers and full-backs – something that will be particularly necessary in this fixture I would assume. This shape was seen during the mid-season friendly games too, so it looks like that’s how he wants us to set up and how it is likely to look on Boxing Day. 

 

Out of possession we are expansive and fluid, with the two wide midfielders, typically McGinn and Ramsey/Buendia running inside to help the two forward players and the full backs overlapping to provide support and width. Our strongest area under the new gaffer has been the central midfield with Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara who appear to be a match made in heaven in the middle.

 

In the previous victory against Brighton, we ended the game with a back line of seven players. Whilst seemingly negative and not particularly pretty, it helped us over the line, so if the score line is favourable towards the end of the game, expect to see something similar.

 

Over the years Boxing Day fixtures have proven to be unpredictable and quite high scoring contests, have you got a prediction on how this game will play out?

 

As previously mentioned, it is all up in the air as to how this mid-season break would have affected certain teams. That mixed with the unpredictability and chaos that typically comes with Boxing Day fixtures, it is a really tough one to predict. The spirits are high in the Villa camp and Villa Park will be rocking, but the quality in that Liverpool side is undeniable and Salah loves a goal against us! 

 

For a neutral I feel it will be an exciting watch with two expert tacticians in Emery and Klopp going head-to-head once again. I’d love for us to emulate the performance and result against Manchester United in Emery’s first game, but a lot of the success on that day was down to Man United’s lack of a press – something that hasn’t been seen from Liverpool in years! 

 

I want to say the score line will be tight as Emery is expected to play that rigid shape once again and given Liverpool’s inconsistencies this season, I feel we can get a result. I realise I have played it safe there, but I do think it’s a difficult one to call - I’ll sit on the fence and opt for a 1-1 draw.