Aston Villa fans got their best result of the season last night. An hour after their 3-0 defeat at Fulham the club announced the sacking of Steven Gerrard- the second high profile dismissal in London of the day.
The Daily Star lettuce is still on the shelf, starting to lose colour and fray a little but it has outlasted one Prime Minister and the manager of Aston Villa.
Two wins and nine points from 11 matches left Villa above the relegation zone, coupled with a grim style of play it proved too much for the club board that had appointed the poster-boy 11 months ago to replace local hero Dean Smith.
There were plenty of hints last season that Gerrard was out of his depth, after the initial bounce results nose-dived with Villa fans quickly detecting problems.
In Scotland a fawning media and on-message referees created a myth that Gerrard might be the one player from England’s alleged Golden Generation to crack it in management.
That message was relayed by former Liverpool team-mates such as Danny Murphy and Jamie Carragher but as he prepares for the next chapter Gerrard left Villa on the back of defeats from Chelsea and Fulham.
When Michael Beale walked away to join QPR in the summer it left the clueless Gary McAllister as Gerrard’s sounding board.
With Truss and Gerrard going it leaves Giovanni van Beonckhorst in place, on Wednesday he takes his European heroes to face Napoli.
Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 20, 2022
Two frauds sacked in the one day ? Catch ye Stevie pic.twitter.com/Hy8xZ9w8UV
— AM ??????? (@annemarie6377) October 20, 2022
many good players are bad coaches ,there are few exceptions
— EXSpalter-Shorty (@FSVTomahawk) October 21, 2022
Announce Lennon!
— Johnybhoy (@Johnybhoy) October 20, 2022
— Danny (@Danza07) October 20, 2022
Quids in all round… pic.twitter.com/JmA8nxvWtj
— Danny Darcy/Galway (@dannydarcy72) October 21, 2022
QUICK AND SWIFT. PERFECT DECISION
— Aston Villa Statto (@AVFCStatto) October 20, 2022
WOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/sORrFMwT15
— TheClaret&BlueWitch (@ClaretBlueWitch) October 20, 2022
YESSSSSS pic.twitter.com/kEzcTj9bIa
— AVFC Barry??????? (@Avfc_Barry) October 20, 2022
Managed as he played. Plenty of endeavour and running about but tactically poor and couldn’t quite cut it at the very very highest level.
— Dr Stefan Lawrence (@StefanoLawrence) October 20, 2022
Thank you for the memories Gerrard,won 2 premier league trophies for City,he is a city legend in my book? pic.twitter.com/7wZ8yakSCq
— Joul (@CityJoul) October 20, 2022
Lizzie will get herself £115 000 for life as an ex-PM just by claiming it! Everybody else is … !