Fulham v Aston Villa: Steven Gerrard vows to get club through bad spell
Steven Gerrard claims a “never say die” spirit is in his DNA as he prepares for the biggest match of his Villa reign.
Villa go to Fulham tonight with Gerrard in need of a positive result to ease the pressure which has built during a disappointing start to the season.
The game at Craven Cottage and Sunday’s visit of Brentford to Villa Park are likely to be pivotal to the 42-year-old’s short-term future, with supporters increasingly restless.
As a player, Gerrard had a reputation for regularly salvaging victory from the jaws of defeat, not least in the 2005 Champions League final when he helped Liverpool overcome a 3-0 deficit to beat AC Milan.
Asked if the same attitude had translated to his managerial career, he replied: “It’s in me (that never say die spirit), in my DNA.
“Outside of the game, in life, I am very much determined and someone who wants to be the best version of me, to challenge myself. If I didn’t want to be in this situation, I wouldn’t be here.
“The Champions League final was one game and one moment where people will go to judge me as a player. But on a daily basis I challenge myself. Honestly, I am so determined to pull through this tough spell and get us in a better position.”
Gerrard is convinced Villa, who have just nine points from their first 10 Premier League matches, are close to turning the corner and drew plenty of positives from his team’s performance in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.
But he is also not blind to their precarious league placing and knows his own position is increasingly vulnerable the longer they go without an upturn in results.
In that regard, Gerrard claims to have taken heart from the attitude of his players who, he believes, remain very much committed to the cause.
“You are very much aware of it (the situation), as a player,” he said. “You get relationships with managers and coaches, so you are very much aware of what is going on.
“All the players will be aware of where we are at. That is how I judge where I’m at because I see a team doing everything they can to turn these results around.
“I know that group of players won’t be happy with where we are. I know they will be determined to turn it around. When you have that togetherness and you see that, in my shoes, that is huge. I can see the players pulling in the direction we want to pull in.”
Cameron Archer returns to the squad after missing the defeat to Chelsea through illness and the 20-year-old is expected to feature at some stage as Villa look to improve on a return of just seven goals so far.
“It’s tough at the top,” added Gerrard. “This is the top league in the world with the top managers, top clubs. If you don’t get the results you want or that the fans want to see, you will face these difficult press conferences like I’m in at the moment.
“But I’m experienced enough and I’ve been through these periods before to know that if you change your results, the questions and the feeling and the pressure and everything, it’s a completely different situation within days.
“That’s the reason why I’m fine where I am and why I want to lead this group, because I know we’re better than where we’re sitting in this league. As we get a few more bodies and our support back that we got in the last window, then we’ll be fine, if not better than fine.”
