Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz has told Steven Gerrard he played it too safe before he was axed amid a wonky run of results.
The Brazilian midfielder was a key contributor during the former Rangers manager's ill-fated 11 month reign but he thinks the 42-year-old should have been bolder with team selections. The Villans' faithful were left miffed by Gerrard's approach to matches and ultimately the lack of victories which left them languishing at the bottom of the table. And Luiz believes Gerrard's cautious first team selection were heightened when interim boss Aaron Danks ripped up the Gerrard script for their thrilling 4-0 Premier League win over Brentford.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Luiz said: “Gerrard was a great coach at Aston Villa, but unfortunately the results weren’t showing. We know how dynamic football is. We have to look forward. If the result doesn’t appear, we have to make a move or change something. Our assistant took over and we managed to have a great game against Brentford. He made changes to the formation and the way of playing. I think that’s what Gerrard lacked a bit: to take a little risk.
“Now, we’ll have Unai Emery, who is a great coach. He has already commanded great players and teams, and it will be a very big new step for all of us.”
Emery will be in the Villa dugout for Sunday's blockbuster clash with Manchester United at Villa Park as they aim to stave off looming relegation fears with a strong second half to the season.
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