Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard
Aston Villa‘s upcoming Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest feels like a “really significant” one for Steven Gerrard, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Villa sounding out Gerrard successors
There has been some doubt as to how much longer the 42-year-old will be in the job, with Football Insider recently reporting that the Midlands club are sounding out Mauricio Pochettino and Unai Emery as a possible successor to the former Liverpool captain.
Villa’s results this season leave a lot to be desired – last Sunday’s 0-0 draw away to a 10-man Leeds United for almost the entire second half was a limp performance, and it does feel as though the axe could fall on Gerrard considering the speculation over other Premier League managers’ futures and sackings elsewhere.
Next up for Villa is the trip to bottom club Forest on Monday night, which represents a crunch fixture for both teams.
The Latest: Monday night could be “significant”
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones believes that the outcome of the match at the City Ground could be a pivotal one for Gerrard in terms of his future as Villa manager.
The journalist said:
“The next game at Forest does feel like a really significant one in their season and probably for Gerrard too.
“He has got to come up with the right game-plan for that one and find a way to get around all these problems they’ve got.”
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The Verdict: Must not lose
Gerrard could be feeling the heat at the moment, and Monday’s game has to be seen as a must-not-lose at the very least.
Defeat at the City Ground could well spell the end for the 42-year-old in the Midlands, especially with their opponents bottom of the table after five successive defeats, including a 4-0 hammering at fellow strugglers Leicester last time out.
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That being said, Forest have shown faith in the under-fire Steve Cooper despite their own poor form, handing him a new deal this week, and a win for Villa could see them stick with Gerrard for another while longer.
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