David Moyes has insisted he has 'no doubt' that Steven Gerrard will bounce back from his Aston Villa sacking to become a top-level manager.
Gerrard was sacked just 75 minutes after a dismal 3-0 defeat at Fulham on Thursday evening, with his side currently 17th in the Premier League and winless in four games. The former Liverpool captain faced open mutiny from the away end at Craven Cottage, with boos at half-time and full-time along with chants of 'get out of our club'.
Many on Merseyside saw the Villa job as a natural stepping stone for the eventual role in the Anfield dugout, but an inability to get the best out of his expensive squad - they have the eighth-highest wage bill in the league - will undoubtedly dampen his managerial reputation. But despite a poor 11 months at Villa Park, Moyes believes the 42-year-old will bounce back.
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"I’m really disappointed for Steven Gerrard himself because we want to get young, new managers in and around the league," Moyes admitted ahead of West Ham hosting Bournemouth on Monday. "We have seen it with Steven Gerrard, we’ve seen it with Frank Lampard for example.
"We’ve got some other managers who have come into it. That’s disappointing for me, but Steven will be fine because he was an incredible player, I don’t need to say that. He’s also shown that he’s a very good manager as well and I've got no doubt that he will go on to manage again, and go on to be a success elsewhere.
"Sometimes in this business, it just doesn’t fit or it might not be the right time or things just don't quite work out for you. I’ve got no doubt he’ll go on to be a future very good manager."
Moyes has joined several Premier League bosses in sharing their thoughts on Gerrard's sacking today.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter reiterated Moyes' prediction that Gerrard will learn from his first managerial sacking, but admitted these moments are part of the job.
He said: "It's part of the job, we know it can happen. It's not nice when a colleague loses their job but at the same time we all know that football clubs have the responsibility to take the decisions they want to take.
"I feel for Steven, he is a good guy who has had a fantastic career, so I am sure this experience will make him stronger."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta - who faced plenty of pressure himself at the start of last season, including fan dissent - also acknowledged that these moments are part of the job for a modern manager, but admitted he also feels 'very sad' for a player he admired.
"I am very sad for him," the Spaniard said. "He was a player I admired. He is a person I have a lot of respect for. As a manager he started so well, first at Ibrox with Rangers and then at Aston Villa, but this job is like this I am afraid."
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