Steven Gerrard 's days as Aston Villa manager appear to be numbered, as the club are reportedly plotting an ambitious attempt to land Mauricio Pochettino as their new boss.
Gerrard took charge at Villa Park less than a year ago and has now entered the most critical week of his stuttering tenure. His side's 2-0 defeat to rejuvenated Chelsea on Sunday saw the Liverpool legend receive fierce criticism from supporters, who voiced their displeasure after just two wins from 10 Premier League matches this season and called for him to be sacked.
With Villa languishing in 16th place, Gerrard is at risk of the sack ahead of two crucial games this week. The Midlands side travel to west London on Thursday to face Fulham before a clash with Brentford this Sunday back at Villa Park, where the bigwigs are already planning for Gerrard's potential departure.
According to the Telegraph, Pochettino is top of the Villains' shortlist should they axe Gerrard. Co-owner Nassef Sawiris is expected to lead any process, while partner Wes Edens, chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange would weigh in.
Villa sacked beloved former manager Dean Smith with the team sat in the same lowly league position after only 11 games last season, demonstrating the level of ambition in the Villa Park boardroom. It's added that if Pochettino were to show any interest in the post but didn't want to immediately commit his duties, club chiefs would likely be prepared to wait for his call thanks to his widely regarded standing as an elite coach.
The Argentine, 50, has been out of work since being sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in June, having been given a shot in the Parc des Princes hot-seat off the back of his brilliant work with Espanyol, Southampton and most notably, Tottenham Hotspur. But if Pochettino wasn't interested in a return to management or indeed the Premier League, Villa are keen to make other ambitious checks.
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Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked by the Blues in February, and ex- Arsenal manager Unai Emery, now in charge of Villarreal, are named in the report which comes little over 24 hours after Gerrard suffered his first loss in five games. The 42-year-old, who quit Rangers last November to succeed Smith, has vowed to keep fighting for his job amid calls for the sack from Villa fans.
"I'd be stupid not to be aware of where we're at and accept that. I won't hide from the criticism," Gerrard declared. "I was aware of all the shouts which came from behind the bench, but I don't think all of them were directed at me from a personal point of view. I heard a group singing from the Holte End, I'm aware of it all.
"But I have to accept it and try to do everything I can to change the way they are feeling. If the players can replicate the first hour of this performance, they won't have an issue. The scoreline flatters Chelsea in terms of how the game panned out. I'm still in a little bit of disbelief we haven't got at least a couple of goals."
