Frustrated Steven Gerrard demands Aston Villa flair players 'stand up and be counted'

Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Watford was Villa’s second defeat on the spin and left them sitting 12th in the Premier League table, after a run of just one win in eight matches.

It was the second game in succession they had failed to score, with only one of their 20 shots at goal on target.

And Gerrard is demanding more quality as they look to arrest the slump, starting with next weekend’s trip to Brighton.

He said: “In previous games we have had that creativity, that inventiveness, we have looked exciting in a lot of games.

“But after the last two I need to demand more from the players in the final third. We are getting into crossing positions, we are getting in and down the sides.

“We had 20 shots on goal on Saturday but only managed one on target. For me that is a quality issue. That has to come from within the dressing room.

“We have really talented players, so it has to come from within. People have got to stand up and be counted. I will take the heat and the pressure. The responsibility is on me, of course it is. But when it is a quality issue in the final third it has got to come from the dressing room as well.”

Gerrard and his team were booed off after failing to score at home for the first time this season. That was despite the boss making several attacking substitutions in the second half, including replacing midfielder Douglas Luiz for striker Ollie Watkins.

He said: “It was about throwing two at it, making it two up top and trying to make it more about the central defenders.

“I didn’t think we needed a holding midfielder in that position at the time. We were controlling the game and getting into the right areas. I needed more people in the box and more goal threat.

“I wanted to take someone who was playing deep out of the game and be more aggressive.”