STEVEN GERRARD IS the new manager of Aston Villa.
The club confirmed the announcement via twitter just before 10am this morning. Gerrard replaces Dean Smith who was sacked last week. Villa will pay Rangers €3.55 million (£3m) in compensation.
The implications of the move are multiple. Aside from the impact it will have on the Scottish title race – where Gerrard’s presence had re-energised Rangers – it will also have ramifications not just in Villa Park but also Anfield.
Gerrard is viewed as the long-term successor for Jurgen Klopp but doubts about his inexperience persisted, despite the fact he did a fine job at Ibrox, ending Celtic’s bid for ten titles in a row.
Now in the Premier League again – this time as manager after a glittering career as a player – Gerrard has the opportunity to prove himself at a higher level than the SPL. He takes over a team that has lost its way and also lost Jack Grealish, its talisman, last summer.
Work starts straight away. Gerrard met the Villa board for talks yesterday and agreed to join. Compensation then was worked out between the two clubs with Gary McAllister, Gerrard’s assistant, also poised to move. Their joint deals take them up until 2024 when Klopp’s contract is due to expire at Anfield. Both Gerrard and McAllister will be in the dug-out for Saturday’s game between Villa and Brighton.
Aston Villa Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Steven Gerrard as our new Head Coach. 🟣
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 11, 2021
Villa’s CEO, Christian Purslow, said: “The Board of Aston Villa are delighted to appoint Steven as our new Head Coach.
“Since moving into coaching after his illustrious playing career, Steven began by managing and developing top young players in the Liverpool FC Academy which is experience we value highly at Aston Villa.
“He then took the brave decision to test himself in the intense and high pressured environment of the Scottish Old Firm. His subsequent achievement in winning the Premiership title with Glasgow Rangers really caught our eye as did his experience in Europe.
“It has been very clear in our discussions with him that Steven’s coaching ambitions, philosophy and values entirely match those of Aston Villa.
“We are excited he has agreed to lead us in the next phase of our ambitious plans as we look to build on the progress made since Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens took over the club in 2018.”
Gerrard added: “Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new Head Coach.
“In my conversations with Nassef, Wes and the rest of the Board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everybody associated with Glasgow Rangers for giving me the opportunity to manage such an iconic football club. Helping them secure a record-breaking 55th league title will always hold a special place in my heart. I would like to wish the players, staff and supporters the very best for the future.”
How dare he leave them on remembrance day, the ultimate disrespect !
@Sam Murray: grow up get a life
@Mick Dunne: get back to the big house brother bear
@Sam Murray: remember what
1 trophy in 9 in a 2 horse race while leaving them on the brink of going bust again now gets you a job in the premier League. Be shocked if he makes it to the end of the season with villa
@mel roberts: ah to be fair it was a one horse race when he arrived and no manager is ultimately responsible for a clubs finances. It’s hard to know what kind of manager he will be. This position Will tell soon enough I’d imagine.
@slfc21: Look at the money he’s spent, he’s the man wanted those players in. It was a one horse race last season when he won it, the Celtic board won rangers that League not Gerrard. He will get sacked before ole does
@mel roberts: Some chip and disrespect shown there towards him and AVFC. I dare say the expert owners and directors did due diligence and he ticked the right boxes. All too easy to be a keyboard armchair expert.
@mel roberts: you can’t say the board one the league but Gerrard broke the club ha. You just don’t like Stephen Gerrard fair enough. He got backed financially. Won the league for first time in a decade and was leading the league again this year. When city won the league last year it wasn’t considered that because liverpool imploded. It was because city were the best team.
@mel roberts: didn’t they go undefeated?
@mel roberts: Rangers didn’t lose 1 league game last season….. Nothing to do with Gerrard obviously, just pot luck really
@slfc21: I didn’t day their board. I said the Celtic board. The Celtic boards decision making along with the money Gerrard spent were the reasons sevco won their first title. Mark my words he won’t make it to the end of the season at villa
@mel roberts: ok I stand corrected on that part. But they won the league undefeated. He couldn’t do any more than that. Ie he was successful at rangers . End of story. And I don’t know how he will get on at villa in the PL. But I won’t write him off based on the fact he won the league he was hired to win because another team weren’t good enough. You claim in the other post ‘anyone who knows anything about football’. But really your just making a judgement based in your own personal feelings and have no basis to say one way or the other on his capabilities.
@mel roberts: and I stand over the point it’s not a managers job to decide too much money is being spent on players. A manager might look for players. It’s up to the club too decide they can’t afford it.
@mel roberts: in fairness it’s sounds like your spinning things. Putting views on Rangers aside and other views on Gerard, he took over 3 years ago and has delivered the top trophy in Scotland, unbeaten that year, 25 points ahead of Celtic and matched Celtics 107 year old clean sheet record. He also leaves them on top of the table. Their financial state isn’t really his responsibility. Rangers also get £4.5m compensation on his leaving. Seems like a good appointment for Aston Villa. He’s is steadily building his managerial CV.
@mel roberts: money
@mel roberts: money
@mel roberts: money
@Desheen: wa#ker
@mel roberts: sevco?
@frank griffin: walker?
Ole to Rangers.
@Snacktoshi Nachomoto ∞/21M: If only…
I can’t stand the sight of him & crouch since they started being the face of a gambling company
@Paul Doyle: maybe he really loves gambling?
@Billy Davies: I wouldn’t bet on it
Surely The Rangers can hire another manager then call him The Steven Gerrard and carry on just as they did in 2012.
The Huns won’t like that, even though Rangers would only ever have been viewed as a stop gap for him. Maybe I can start liking Stevie G again now.
If Celtic don’t go on to win the league after this major upheaval then they are in a worse state than I thought.
@Ciarán Rice: Stevie saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship
@Ciarán Rice: where have you been the last two months they are unbeaten In 7 and are flying lol
@Kieran Tierney: I try not to get too excited mate, I don’t trust this board, who have already hung Ange out to dry.
@Ciarán Rice: yeah I suppose..ah I’m just delighted they have turned a corner
Not sure it’s a much of an upgrade on Dean Smith tbh but great from Gerrard’s point of view. Rangers fans will be upset but when a club as big as Villa come knocking you can’t really blame him for jumping at it.
@Fergus O’Connor: Dean Smith is a much better manager than Gerrard. It’s not even debatable. Smith has just run his course. Happens to every manager.
Won’t last to the end of the season…Middle of the road player…Very poor at management..Definitely not Liverpool management material …
@In the paper: middle of the road player, don’t make me laugh
@In the paper: funny thing about this comment is, somebody will bite.
@In the paper: klopp was a class player.
A big risk for him, if he makes a balls of it, he will surely be ruled out of the Liverpool gig in the future.
@Al Byrne: he was never gona get the liverpool
Job on the back of first job at rangers. Needs to cut his teeth In the premiership. Very interesting appointment
This is a very strange appointment and is likely to backfire. He is unproven and 1 SPL won ( becaue Celtic didn’t show up for a season) does not tell us he has the smarts for the premiership. I would like to see him do well but Dean Smith galvanised that club and has been left down badly.
Always Liked Stevie G. Poor fella thought he was going to queen park rangers not the filth.
Awful decision by Aston villa, Dean Smith will be proven to be a better manager than Steven Gerrard, another Frank lampard decision, what exactly did Steven Gerrard achieve in Scotland, he won a race where his team were the only runners, you have to admire how Gerrard used rangers as a stepping stone to get back down south though
@Hugo Bugo: how is it a ‘frank lampard decision’. There are no parallells whatsoever other than they are both midfielders from the same era. Lampard was a feelgood hire to chelsea based on his connection with the club. Gerrard has no previous connection with Villa. Lampard was coming off finishing 6th in the championship with Derby and failing to progress from the playoffs. Gerrard won a league title, wresting it from the team who won it 9 seasons in a row unchallenged, and went through the whole season unbeaten, and also topped their group in the europa league.
Hard to tell how this will go. Best of luck Stevie lad.
Love all the anger towards Gerrard simply because of the job he took. He was asked to get Rangers back to the SPL and he did it. He was asked to deliver a league title and he did it with the resources made available to him. Will he succeed at Villa? No one knows, I think he’ll keep them up simply because the teams in the bottom three are so bad. Wish him well as you would anyone starting a new job and don’t be so begrudging.
@David Lawlor: he took over when they were already in the Premier…
“Gerrard is seen as the long term successor of Jurgan Klopp”, gowan out of that
Gareth Southgate looking over his shoulder now. lol
Mr Rangers dumps them like a hot snot!
Slippy G to the rescue !!!
Reading through some of the rubbish posted here it seems it that the requirements for being a shit coach who will be sacked by end of season are
1. Being a former Liverpool player
2.Being a former Rangers manager
Gerard did exactly what was asked of him as Rangers manager, win the league, yes it is a poor league but you can only play what’s in front of you and I’m sure his coaching methods/style had some part to play in them not losing a league game
Yes the Premier League will be a massive step up, with Frank Lampard a prime example showing the gulf and ruthlessness of stepping up to this level. Of course Gerard could fail miserably but I doubt it will have anything to do with him being a former Liverpool player and Rangers manager.