Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard: Top 10 is the minimum

Steven Gerrard admits a top-half finish is the minimum requirement for Villa this season.

Published Jul 23, 2022

File photo dated 09-02-2022 of Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard. The new season kicks off on August 5th and runs until the end of May following a break for the World Cup. Premier League champions Manchester City will begin the defence of their title at West Ham in the final match of the opening weekend’s fixtures. Issue date: Thursday June 16, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Premier League. Photo credit should read Nick Potts/PA Wire.

The boss is preparing for his first full campaign in charge and is eager to improve on last year’s underwhelming 14th-place.

Gerrard has been backed in the transfer market with Villa having added five signings so far and he said: “I’ve always embraced pressure, that’s why I went into management. I want to be at clubs that have internal targets. I want to be involved in an ambitious club.

“We want to finish as high as we can in the table. If that means we snatch a European place, fantastic, because we’ve got to reach for the stars, if course we have. But the minimum for me is we’ve got to be operating in the top half of the league.”

Striker Wesley has completed his loan switch to Spanish Second Division club Levante.