Liverpool legend believes ‘success’ for Gerrard sees Villa ‘around the top’

Lewis Oldham
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has suggested that “success” for Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa would see him guide them to “around the top” in the league.

Gerrard took his first job in management in 2018 as he took over at Rangers. He fared well at the Scottish giants.

Under the former Liverpool star, Rangers reached the knockout stages of the Europa League on multiple occasions.


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But his best achievement as manager came as he led Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in 2020/21.

Gerrard is now back in the Premier League as he has replaced Dean Smith at Aston Villa.

In his column for The Mirror, Fowler backed Gerrard to be a success at the Villans:

“He has the character, he has the personality, and he also has the right team around him.

“That is vital. He’s taken a lot of his staff from Rangers, and trusts them. I know most of them, and I know they have quality.

“That will be key. Being a truly great player doesn’t make you a great manager. It maybe gives you a head start with players, maybe gives you a tiny bit more time. But you have to deliver in the end.

“Will he be a success at Villa? I don’t doubt it. But then you have to ask the question, what is success at Villa? Dean Smith was successful, and he was sacked.

“They don’t have the funds to match the top six, they have lost their best player because rightly, he wanted to move on in his career. So what is success? Maybe Europe. Maybe a cup win.

“It’s a strange one isn’t it. We all expect Steven to go there and do something dramatic, and I can understand that he absolutely had to take the job, after doing so well with Rangers.

“But can he win the Premier League with Villa? You have to say unlikely.

“Can he qualify for the Champions League? Again, unlikely. So perhaps success is doing what Brendan Rodgers has done at Leicester the last few seasons. Challenge for Europe, challenge in the cups. Be around the top.”