STEVEN GERRARD's attitude and approach to strive for success as Aston Villa has reportedly left members of his squad miffed.
The former Rangers boss has come under early season scrutiny after a disappointing opening day defeat to Bournemouth.
The 2-0 loss follows on from the club's poor form towards the end of last term.
Gerrard was selected by Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens last November to succeed Dean Smith.
They have backed the 41-year-old this summer by signing Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara and loan standout Phillipe Coutinho on a permanent basis.
However, a report south of the border claims that Gerrard's methods have not gone down well with some of the Villa squad.
The Mirror claims: "His high standards and forthright attitude isn’t going down well among all of the players he inherited when he replaced Dean Smith last November.
"Some of whom were very comfortable and content just to be at a big club like Villa, with decent salaries and sell-out 42,000 home games.
"Yet that all ended when Gerrard breezed in to push the club forward with the backing of billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens. Gerrard's demands for even more competition and commitment since from Villa’s squad has been a shock to several."
Aston Villa host Everton on Saturday as both teams aim for their first points of the campaign.
