Aston Villa v West Ham: Steven Gerrard knows a victory will keep doubters quiet
Steven Gerrard is targeting victory over West Ham to help quieten the critics after Villa’s stumbling start to the season.
Though the campaign is not even a month old, Gerrard is aware of the scrutiny upon both himself and his team following some unconvincing performances and a return of just three points from the first three Premier League matches.
A win over the Hammers, he believes, would go a long way to altering perceptions and leave Villa in an acceptable place at the start of a testing week which also includes matches against early season table toppers Arsenal and champions Manchester City.
“Things can change, momentum can change from good to bad, bad to good, this is football and I have been around it a long time,” he said.
“The only thing that controls external noise is getting consistent results and that is what we are striving for.”
Villa head into the match on the back of a 4-1 Carabao Cup win at Bolton which, albeit against League One opposition, was only the second time they have come from behind to claim victory since Gerrard took charge last November.
Yet it is in the league where the 42-year-old knows his reign will ultimately be judged and there they have been underwhelming, beating Everton 2-1 in their only previous home match but losing on the road to newly-promoted Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.
With more than two decades experience as a player and now manager, Gerrard accepts criticism is part of the game, even though it now appears in more mediums than ever before.
“Last year I hadn’t even heard of TikTok. This year I’m doing it with my daughter,” he smiled. “There is a new thing every year, new followers, new coverage. This is my world.
“I don’t listen to external noise. I’m aware of it, of course. I don’t live a hole. But I only focus on what I can control and that is to get the best out of Aston Villa and my team.
“It (criticism) is what happens in this day and age. There are a lot of opinions out there and a lot of coverage on every team. Manchester United have just gone from the worst team that has ever been put together to the best team in the world, overnight. Things can change quickly.”
Gerrard’s biggest headache in terms of team selection, as it has been for throughout the whole season, is which pairing to choose at centre-half. To date has named a different duo in all four matches and Villa, hit hard by the loss to injury of Diego Carlos, are yet to keep a clean sheet.
“I want Villa Park to be rocking and behind the team just like they were against Everton,” said Gerrard. “If we can find a similar level of performance, for 90 minutes and not 80, it gives us a good chance of getting the result we want.
“We will be sitting here in the next round of the cup and in the top half of the Premier League. If we don’t get the result, I will expect to be sat here next week talking about the same things.”
