Steven Gerrard admitted a win is the “medicine” Aston Villa need right now after a blip in form but he cautioned that beating Brighton is not a cure for all their ills.
Gerrard’s appointment as head coach corresponded with an upturn in fortunes for Villa, who won four of their first six games with the Liverpudlian at the helm but recent results have gone against them.
The former Rangers boss did not seek to downplay a lone victory in their last seven Premier League matches, which has left Villa 13th and looking over their shoulders as only seven points separate them from the relegation zone.
While Gerrard wants to correct the course, starting on Saturday at Brighton, he recognises there are broader issues that will not be solved overnight, even if he is heartened by his players’ attitude in the face of adversity.
“We have to admit that our form of late needs improving,” he told a press conference. “We’re all aware of that, no one more than myself, and Brighton gives us the opportunity to bounce back.
“A good win here is the medicine we all need right now. I think the character and the personality of the players after the last couple of results has been what I’ve wanted to see. I think no one in this group likes to be beat.
“Our form’s dropped, we admit that and take that on the chin but this wasn’t a job that was going to be sorted in 12, 13, 14 games.
“We knew that there was still a gap where we needed to get to and where we want to take the team to, that doesn’t change. If we go and win three on the spin, we know this is a long-term thing we need to improve.”
Gerrard, who has centre-back Ezri Konsa available again following suspension, has watched his side draw a blank in back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Newcastle and Watford in the last couple of weeks.
And while he pinpointed the urgency to find the back of the net more often, he is keeping his composure, highlighting Villa have not finished in the top half of the Premier League for more than a decade.
“It’s quite clear we need to find that clinical edge again,” he said. “But look, a good, strong win against Brighton changes the mood, it changes the noise outside.
“If we win we move towards the middle of the table. This team hasn’t finished above 10th in the last 10 years, that’s still possible here. For me it’s about remaining positive.”
Gerrard’s reign after he swapped Glasgow for the Midlands three months ago started with a 2-0 victory over the Seagulls at Villa Park, where Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings struck in the last six minutes.
Brighton, four places and six points better off than their visitors this weekend, have experienced a recent downturn in results and were hammered 3-0 by lowly Burnley at the Amex Stadium last time out.
“One thing I do know is Graham Potter will probably be facing similar questions to myself,” Gerrard added. “We’re in similar form.
“They’ve had a terrific season, they’ve been the surprise package alongside Wolves who maybe people didn’t expect to be operating in the top half of the league but they’ve got fantastic players and are coached extremely well.
“The first game we came in was tough up until a certain point till the breakthrough came so I’m sure both sets of players believe that this can be the game where they can change their form round.”
