It was a whirlwind night for Steven Gerrard as his time as Aston Villa boss came to an abrupt end following defeat to Fulham.
Just 11 months after leaving then-Scottish Premiership champions Rangers for a shot at the English Premier League, the Liverpool legend has been axed by the Villa Park higher-ups with a record of just two wins so far this term. The club sit 17th in the table after a lacklustre start to the campaign and face the prospect of a relegation scrap as they hunt for Gerrard's successor.
Despite the sacking not coming as a shock, many fans and pundits expected Gerrard to be allowed to take the game against Brentford on Sunday due to the jam-packed fixture list. However, the it was a decisive decision from the owners. After a positive performance in the defeat to Chelsea, spirits were high going into the clash at Craven Cottage that Villa could leave with a positive result. However, things were looking bleak at the break with Fulham leading through Harrison Reed's opener.
Things didn't improve in the second half, and the fans quickly turned. Douglas Luiz's red card was quickly followed by Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty , which looked to have put the game out of the reach of Aston Villa.
The refrain from the visiting support was “Steven Gerrard, get out of our club ” as the pressure ramped up on the boss, while his team continued to implode on the pitch. Tyrone Mings, who Gerrard has removed as captain this summer, netted an own goal to cap off a dismal display in London.
Following the full-time whistle, the tense atmosphere only ramped up as the Villa fans unleashed their full fury. Mocking chants of "you'll never work again" and "we want Gerrard out" could be heard from the stands.
That teed up a tense post-match debrief with Prime Video, where Gerrard borrowed from ousted Prime Minister Liz Truss' playbook as he insisted he wasn't a quitter. He said: "It's tough but I'm a man, I accept it. I understand it, I can feel their frustration, I'm frustrated with them (too). It was a tough night for me, personally. Look, we'll see what happens.
"I understand the situation that we're in. I'm a fighter, I'll never, ever quit anything, certainly when it comes down to football or anything in life. So, we'll see what happens moving forward."
Less than 40 minutes after he gave his post-match thoughts, Aston Villa announced he had been relieved of his duties. A blunt statement from a club spokesman read: "We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
The decision happened so quickly that it set Gerrard up for an awkward bus ride back to the Midlands . The Athletic report that the Liverpool icon travelled back on the team bus with the players and staff after being sacked.
The former gaffer then rounded off a disappointing night for the club back at the training ground. After returning to Birmingham he was allowed to say his final farewells at the training ground.
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