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Steven Gerrard remains adamant he is the right man to lead Aston Villa out of their poor run of form, declaring: “I’m capable of getting out of this”.
With Villa languishing near the Premier League’s relegation zone after winning just two of their first 10 games of the season, Gerrard’s position as manager has been called into question.
Ahead of their trip to Fulham on Thursday, Villa have won just one of their last eight league matches (D3 L4), only scoring five goals during that run.
Earlier this week, reports suggested Villa may make an audacious move for former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino if they opt to dispense with Gerrard’s services, but the former Liverpool midfielder is determined to fight on.
“I’m here to fight and to lead every single minute of every day, and I’ve got every confidence and belief in myself that I can change this situation,” Gerrard said on Wednesday.
“I’m game for these periods because I believe and know I can get through them if I stay true to myself. I’ll front this head on, I’m game for it and I’ll show everyone that I’m capable of getting out of this.
“I accept how I’m getting judged right now, but there’s no one on the planet more determined to change it than myself and that’s all I need to focus on, which is the next three points.”
Only Wolves (3.5 per cent) have a worse shot conversion rate than Villa in the Premier League this campaign (6 per cent), with Gerrard’s team scoring just seven goals from 116 attempts.
Key to their struggles has been the poor form of Philippe Coutinho, who is yet to score this season, but Gerrard believes his former Liverpool team-mate will come good.
“The age he is at and the talent, I very much have full confidence and belief in Phil,” Gerrard added. “Obviously the stats at the moment suggest that he’s not in the best place or at his best, which we all understand.
“But we as a staff and me as his manager, will give him every bit of support he needs. You don’t lose talent, you don’t lose class. It’s still there.
“Confidence and belief can change very quickly, so my opinion on Phil Coutinho won’t ever change, because I see it on a daily basis. He’s just got to replicate it in the games.”