Steven Gerrard

[roonst83]

21 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Been hearing all day how poor Wolves were ending last season and carrying on with there poor form this season which has justified the sacking of Lange.

We ain't no better, winning 1 more game only 2 points ahead, but apparently Gerrard seems untouchable by the media.

Spot on. And, alarmingly, Wolves would clearly get better under the same manager – whereas we're hitting our own ceiling under this manager it seems and it just feels completely, flat and uninspiring under Gerrard with absolutely no hint of an improvement on the horizon. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

57 minutes ago, a-k said:

Maybe this was despite the manager? The motivation for that match could simply have been "let's prove to ourselves and others that we can compete against the best despite the gaffer"

Whatever my thoughts are on him, I can't agree with that.

As i've said, that was a good performance, and he deserves credit for it.

As another poster said, we can't move goalposts as we feel like.

By this logic they must also be saying " Let's prove to ourselves and and others that we can barely compete with lesser teams " in our other matches.

[Guest av1]

I was clearly wrong, obviously more hope than judgement, but I honestly thought he’d be gone today. 
 

There is often a debate amongst football fans whether results/performances or evidence of progress are the most important. That’s a different debate so I won’t go OT, but atm I’m seeing nothing.

I also don’t want to OT by talking about Smith, but as appalling as the last few games were under him, and I don’t think the decision was wrong, he had money in the bank so to speak. Gerrard has none, so I hope the board are as ruthless as there were with Smith. 
 

They sacked a bloke for a poor run after the best few years we’ve had in a decade (right decision at the time) so surely they have to sack a plum that has neither given or shown anything 

[nick76]

5 minutes ago, av1 said:

They sacked a bloke for a poor run after the best few years we’ve had in a decade (right decision at the time) so surely they have to sack a plum that has neither given or shown anything 

I’m assuming they just can’t get the guy they want despite trying or it’s taking longer.  The only other reason is that despite the results and performances their relationship with Gerrard is stronger than it was with Smith.  It may well be the case but then you worry about having blinkers on and how much are they willing to deny reality before making the cut.

[Follyfoot]

He has strangled the life out of all of the good will built up over the past few years. Forget the new stand, we will not fill the ground as it is much longer with 'Stevie G' at the helm. Parasite

Go and go now you are not welcome here 

 

[Keyblade]

5 hours ago, nick76 said:

 

It's because he's Steven Gerrard. If we signed Kenny Miller for example who had the same achievements in Scotland, those same people would be calling him a jock wally or something. Don't underestimate how much people are blinded by a big name.

[GingerCollins29]

SG should be gone.

Every day he stays in this job, i start to blame NSWE a little bit more.

Absolute sabotage to everything that has been built up, all to keep Gerrard in a position he is not fot for

[Tom13]

He has to go.

The City draw - Luiz and Kamara together, it was a decent result. He had his chance to turn it around from there, but no, he actually drops Luiz next game! He's never going to realise the error in his ways.

[a-k]

1 hour ago, roonst83 said:

Spot on. And, alarmingly, Wolves would clearly get better under the same manager – whereas we're hitting our own ceiling under this manager it seems and it just feels completely, flat and uninspiring under Gerrard with absolutely no hint of an improvement on the horizon. 

If Bruno Lage had a fit Watkins or Ings in their squad this season, he wouldn't have been sacked.

[jacketspuds]

Although Leicester were bottom when there match started I’m casting envious glances in their direction. Look how they are playing, with purpose and a plan.

Two things we severely lack under Gerrard. 

Needs to be gone ASAP.

[VillanousOne]

So many odd decisions.

Swap Digne for Targett, ok I don't actually dislike Digne but it wouldn't have been my first choice 'must do transfer' and Targett seems to have flourished at Newcastle whereas most Villa fans don't seem to rate Digne that highly.

Signs Coutinho even despite the fact his loan had petered out dramatically in terms of performance and quality and despite the fact we had Buendia who love him or hate him is a complete waste on the bench considering what we paid.

Signs Kamara on a free, despite the injury this was a real coup, BUT he certainly wasn't the defensive midfielder we needed, or the answer to our midfield imbalance. Surely he was a replacement to Doug, who we are now going to lose for nothing.

Carlos looked a good signing but also a lot of money on a 29 year old in a position that again I don't think was a priority, but can't blame him for the injury and when he signed, Konsa was dire. I can't help but feel the plan was to drop and sell Mings and replace him with Carlos.

Makes McGinn captain and drops Mings. Now there is a chance being dropped as captain has helped refocus Mings as he has played very well this season in spite of everything. But swapping arguably the face of Villa with the cheeky joker in the pack, was brain dead. The fact that McGinn continues to confound Villa fans that he starts every week let alone captains us, is utterly baffling (plus the 'possible' plan to bin him for Carlos).

He has given Bailey a chance but he is still not playing him to his strengths (i.e width or running onto balls) and the advanced wing back system has been nothing but a disaster, with Digne and Cash clearly not capable of playing that way at all.

He struggled to get a tune out of the Watkins and Ings combo and has now given up on it altogether.

Dendoncker and Bednareck look like panic signings which he will never through choice start unless he has to.

i would honestly rather see Trez and Traore back on the wings than the dross currently being served up.

Now he plays 'non possession hoof ball' which still seems be slow ponderous and predictable.
 

[AshVilla]

10 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

Although Leicester were bottom when there match started I’m casting envious glances in their direction. Look how they are playing, with purpose and a plan.

Two things we severely lack under Gerrard. 

Needs to be gone ASAP.

They will be above us soon enough.

[markavfc40]

2 hours ago, VillaParkAvenue said:

It’s obvious why he doesn’t play youth - he believes the older players are more reliable and more likely to bring him points in the very short perspective.

This is as big an issue as the overall poor results/performances. Arguably bigger. I think it was all so predictable though. Gerrard never came here for a long term project. It was always about staying 3-4 years and then moving upwards to his dream job. To do that he needs relative success with us fairly quickly. That doesn't tie in with developing young players.

I think regardless of results improving slightly now, and enough to just about keep him in a job, I have zero confidence that we are looking at anything other than being a 12th-16th place team under Gerrard. That wouldn't be acceptable if he was developing our promising younger players so it certainly isn't with him showing little to no interest in doing so. 

So despite 37 games, two transfer windows, big increase in the wage bill and a full pre season we have a run of sustained poor results (Last 25 games we have taken 27 pts, last 20 games 20 pts , last 15 games 17 pts, last 10 games 9 pts, last 5 games 5 pts) combined with consistently clueless, poor performances, a failure to develop and give first team chances to our excellent young prospects and a disconnect with supporters.

I can't see any reason to keep him but I have a feeling Purslow will stick with him until the situation becomes really desperate and turns really toxic. Gerrrard is his man so he will see it as his failing and I am not sure his ego will readily admit that. I also think given how close they apparently are, and the tinge of fan boy on Purslows part, that he will be loath to sack Gerrard knowing he will be putting a huge dent in his future managerial prospects.

I have a horrible feeling we are going to just trundle along with Gerrard doing just enough to keep Purslow from pulling the trigger and another season, at least, is going to be wasted.

Edited October 3, 2022 by markavfc40

[Hank Scorpio]

Gerrard is now popping off at local journalists. Think what you want about Preece but ultimately they defend their own and now he can be certain local journalists will be giving him little grace going forwards, the national press are another matter though. They won't dare criticize a Liverpool legend until the bitter end, he's above reproach basically. 

That explains the delay in making a decision as Purslow won't want the negative press from the national press for firing one of the sky 6 heroes. If Purslow ever grows the balls to fire him it will be too late, hell Wolves are looking at getting Lopetuegi FFS.  

I acknowledge he has faced a injury list to his starting eleven that is clearly not ideal, but he seems either unwilling or unable to adjust tactics unless it's to go ultra safe and defensive in order to scrape by and save himself. Is that acceptable though, given the investment the owners have made?

If they are happy with how things are going then I need to start questioning them,they can talk about the "villa pride" and the waiting list for season tickets. Well if Gerrrard is here in 18 months then the waiting list well be alot smaller as we will be in the championship again. Not much need for a fancy new north stand then is there? Fans in a majority seem to feel disconnected from the club. From where we were with Smith after staying up, to now is night and day, and yes it was the right decision to ask Smith. 

As it would be to do the same to Gerrrard, but I sense Purslow hasn't got the balls.

Dangerous times for Villa.

[StanBalaban]

A draw or loss to this Forest team must surely signal the end for him?

[Tom13]

4 minutes ago, Pissflaps said:

Well if Gerrrard is here in 18 months

Jesus what a thought. I can barely wait 18 minutes for him to be gone let alone 18 months.

[Tom13]

7 minutes ago, StanBalaban said:

A draw or loss to this Forest team must surely signal the end for him?

Has to be, just has to.

[DCJonah]

10 minutes ago, StanBalaban said:

A draw or loss to this Forest team must surely signal the end for him?

We'll beat them. It's what we do under Gerrard. We beat teams destined to be relegated. 

It's the other teams that present the issues.

[Tomaszk]

28 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

Although Leicester were bottom when there match started I’m casting envious glances in their direction. Look how they are playing, with purpose and a plan.

Two things we severely lack under Gerrard. 

Needs to be gone ASAP.

Came to say the same.

This is a side with 1 point. They look 10x the side we do.

We're in a relegation battle.

Not beating Forest should be enough to see him off really.

[M_Afro]

2 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

We'll beat them. It's what we do under Gerrard. We beat teams destined to be relegated. 

It's the other teams that present the issues.

Not sure about that. We lost to Bournemouth who are awful and failed to beat 10 man Leeds, who are also awful. I think there’s a real chance of us losing at Forest too. A poor defeat could signal the end although I suspect he will hang on for a bit longer.