Paul Merson: Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard suit Aston Villa job best
Paul Merson reckons Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the best two candidates to be Villa’s next boss.
Gerrard, currently with Scottish champions Rangers, is thought to be high on the club’s shortlist though Lampard is considered something of an outsider.
Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, mentioned as a contender in the hours following Dean Smith’s dismissal on Sunday, yesterday ruled himself out of the running. Former forward Merson, who made 143 appearances during a four-year spell at Villa between 1998 and 2002, believes Gerrard and Lampard should be top of the list.
He said: “It’s going to be hard to prise Steven Gerrard away, he’s managing a massive club in Rangers,’ he said.
“He’s got them buzzing again; he stopped Celtic winning 10 in a row, they are in the Europa League, and they’ve got a chance of winning the Scottish Premiership.
“Everyone wants to manage in the Premier League. That is no disrespect to the Scottish Premiership. Rangers and Celtic are bigger clubs than probably half of the teams in the Premier League. But it’s the Premier League, and when you start out managing, I’m sure in the back of people’s minds if you could get a job like Aston Villa - wow.”
On Lampard, Merson added: “He’s managed Chelsea, where he did a great job in steadying the ship at the time.
“If you look at all the kids who have come through at Chelsea since, and then look at Aston Villa’s academy, it’s very good as well.
“On Friday night (at Southampton), Dean Smith had five or six players from the academy in the squad for what was his final game. I would like to see a Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard get the job.”
Villa’s interest in Gerrard has provoked considerable debate north of the border, with Rangers legend Ally McCoist yesterday urging the former Liverpool captain to stay at Ibrox.
Hjulmand, known by Villa sporting director and fellow Dane Johan Lange, meanwhile insisted he has no plans to leave his current post.
The 49-year-old, already considered something of a long shot to replace Smith, said: “I’m happy to be the Danish national coach and I’m not going anywhere right now.”
