‘I won’t hide away… I won’t feel sorry for myself… We’re better than when I took over’: Steven Gerrard comes out fighting for his job at Aston Villa on first appearance after trip to the pub and viral ‘sack’ claims
- Boss Steven Gerrard has launched a stern defence of his tenure at Aston Villa
- He insisted he will not ‘hide away’ or ‘feel sorry for himself’ amid Villa’s poor form
- Gerrard’s side are 16th in the Premier League, one point off the relegation zone
- The ex-Liverpool midfielder claimed his side are better than when he took over
- He recently visited a pub, with locals denying viral claims he had been ‘sacked’
Steven Gerrard launched a stern defence of his Aston Villa tenure in his first media appearance after his trip to the pub amid viral claims he had been sacked.
The struggling Midlands side are winless in three and currently lie 16th in the Premier League table, just one point off the relegation zone, despite signing Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Leander Dendoncker and Boubacar Kamara this summer.
And Gerrard, who is coming up to a year in charge at Villa Park, insisted he won’t ‘hide away’ or ‘feel sorry for himself’ as he fights for his job ahead of a crucial clash with promoted side Fulham at Craven Cottage on Thursday night.
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard (pictured) has launched a stern defence of his tenure
Gerrard is under increasing pressure amid a poor start to the season by the Midlands side
He said: ‘I won’t feel sorry for myself. We’ll accept the outcome of the game because it is what it is… obviously the outcome is a defeat but we’ll certainly take the positives.
‘Yes I do (think we’re better than when I started, in November 2021). I have total trust and confidence and belief in myself and this group of players. It’s well documented we’re missing big players at the moment.
‘A lot of improvements we tried to make in the last window are not available to help us at the moment. I believe we might have been in a healthier position with that support, but they’re on the way back. I think that’s a positive.
‘Every coach and manager you speak to will always speak about time, but I’m not going to hide away from anything. I want to be judged in the now as well. I totally understand the…