Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has shared what he’s hearing on Mauricio Pochettino following rumours of a move to Villa Park.
The Lowdown: Pochettino links
There has been plenty of rumours this week regarding Gerrard’s position in charge after Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea.
Some reports even suggested that Villa have already decided to part ways with the 42-year-old, while The Telegraph claimed on Monday that Villa could make an ‘ambitious attempt to convince Pochettino to step back into management’.
Football Insider have since claimed that the Argentine has ‘major doubts’ over potentially replacing Gerrard, due to the deficiencies in the squad and poor fit for his high-intensity style.
The Latest: Preece’s comments
Preece shared an Aston Villa notebook for Birmingham Live on Wednesday ahead of the trip to Fulham – reports have claimed Gerrard’s future may not be saved even by a positive result against the Cottagers.
He addressed the rumours regarding that and Pochettino, claiming that ‘Villa sources’ have claimed it is ‘pure speculation’.
Are you Gerrard in or Gerrard out?
Gerrard out
Gerrard in
“Mauricio Pochettino is widely tipped to be the man to replace Gerrard should Villa make a managerial change. However, Villa sources have said that reports this week are pure speculation. The highly-regarded Argentinian is currently out of work after leaving Paris Saint-Germain back in July.”
The Verdict: Still pressure…
Even though the rumours regarding Pochettino appear to be just talk at this moment in time, there still seems to be plenty of pressure on Gerrard’s shoulders.
His side have struggled during the current campaign, scoring just seven goals in ten Premier League games and still without an away victory. Therefore, another away day to forget could spell the end for Gerrard ahead of the weekend clash with Brentford.
NSWE may decide to formally firm up their interest in Pochettino, or they could look at other potential targets in what could be a busy few days off the pitch at Villa Park.
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