Steven Gerrard on the touchline
Pundit Paddy Kenny believes Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is ‘under pressure’ following Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Leeds United, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Elland Road stalemate
Villa did stop the rot on the road with their first Premier League away point of the season against Jesse Marsch’s side. However, Gerrard’s men failed to take advantage of Luis Sinisterra’s sending-off early in the second half, failing to score as their struggles in the final third continued.
The draw took Villa into 15th place, but the club have scored just six goals in their opening eight games – only Wolves and West Ham have scored fewer.
The Latest: Kenny’s comments
Talking to FI, Kenny was asked if the draw with Leeds has put Gerrard under pressure.
The pundit believes it will do just that, claiming that plenty of Villa fans are ‘not happy’ with the 42-year-old.
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“100 per cent he is under pressure.
“Playing against a 10-man Leeds United side for 45 minutes you would expect them to win.
“They have only won twice this season. There are a few teams in the same boat. There has been a lot of draws.
“Gerrard is going to be under pressure. If you do not win for three or four games you are under pressure as a manager, I do not care who you are.
“Villa fans have been after Gerrard for a while now. They are not happy. They do not look to have progressed since Dean Smith. Let’s not forget, they have spent money.
“It is a difficult league though so I think he deserves more time.”
The Verdict: Forest game huge
Reports have suggested that Unai Emery and Mauricio Pochettino have already been sounded out to potentially replace Gerrard, so Villa’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Monday could be huge in regards to the manager’s future.
Forest have lost their last five in the Premier League, so anything less than three points could push NSWE into making a change.
Gerrard’s record in the Midlands isn’t exactly eye-catching either, winning just 13 of his 37 games in charge, so it could well be just a matter of time until Villa officials pull the plug on his time in charge.
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