Perfectionist Seven Gerrard wants Aston Villa on the front foot
Steven Gerrard has called on Villa to stay aggressive if they want to continue their upturn in form.
Villa head to relegation-threatened Leeds on Thursday night looking to record three wins on the spin for the first time this season.
Victories over Brighton and Southampton have lifted the mood after a run of just one win in eight left Gerrard under scrutiny for the first time in his reign.
The boss believes improved work off the ball has been a main reason for the change in fortunes.
He explained: “The key is always what you look like out of possession. Last season against Southampton we were 4-0 down at half-time. That tells me in the past this team has been too passive.
“For me, it is about getting both sides of the game right. It is okay having loads of talented players but we have got to be a tough side to play against. We’ve shown that with the last two performances.”
Saturday’s 4-0 win over the Saints was Villa’s biggest of the season but Gerrard still saw room for improvement, particularly in the way his team performed in the second half when the game was already over as a contest.
He explained: “I’m a perfectionist so I’ll always want us to be better, even with such a positive scoreline so if there’s one lesson for us as a team it’s that we need to keep the ball better in the second half.
“When the game gets to 3-0 and 4-0, I want to see more personality and character in terms of keeping the ball for longer periods – I don’t want to play the whole of the second half in our half and just look dangerous in transition.
“I want us to become a better possession-based team and stay with the ball for longer periods so there were times when we allowed the keeper to pump it upfield, but I want my defenders to open and build and really enjoy the ball.
“That’s the only thing I’ve said to the players after the game is that we need to learn to keep the ball for longer periods in the game when we’re in a good place and really enjoy it.
He continued: “I don’t think it’s time to get too excited. We’ve won two games and kept two clean sheets but that was on the back of a poor run of form.
“I want to remain as balanced as I can because there’s still a lot of work to be done and a lot of areas to focus on. But on the back of those two results, I feel really good. We’ve got really good potential to move it forward.”
