Aston Villa has fired Steven Gerrard moments after his 10-man side fell 3-0 to Fulham on Thursday.
Gerrard used his post-match press conference to say he wasn’t a quitter, but won’t get the chance after Villa called time on his tenure at Villa Park.
[ MORE: What we learned from Fulham 3-0 Villa ]
Villa is winless in its last four matches, drawing Leeds 0-0 and Forest 1-1 before losing to Chelsea and now Fulham. Douglas Luiz was sent off with Villa trailing 1-0 on Thursday.
Gerrard’s team is 2W-3D-6L this season after going 9W-5D-13L last season.
Next up for Villa? Brentford at Villa Park on Sunday.
What went wrong for Gerrard and what did the club say about his removal? Read on...
What went wrong for Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa
Gerrard took over less than a year ago when Villa let Dean Smith go, and the ex-Liverpool brought with him a rising reputation from Rangers.
Expected by some to use this as a pitstop en route to Liverpool, Gerrard’s men burst out of the gate but things fizzled quickly at Villa Park.
Villa won four of its first six Premier League matches under his guidance, losing only to Man City and Liverpool, but won just two of 11 down the stretch.
The Villans have lost to Bournemouth, Palace, West Ham, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Fulham this season, drawing Forest, Leeds, and Man City. It’s wins came against Everton and Southampton, both at Villa Park.
He stripped Tyrone Mings of the Villa captaincy, giving it to John McGinn, and never quite figured out how to use Emiliano Buendia, Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings, Philippe Coutinho, Jacob Ramsay, and Leon Bailey in a talented but frustrated Villa. team.
Who could be next for Aston Villa?
Mauricio Pochettino would be a home run hire, but would he take the reins of a club that’s ousted Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard inside of a year?
Sean Dyche will be a popular name, while Peter Bosz and Nuno Espirito Santo’s names will be bandied about after the unemployed managers reportedly spoke to Wolves.
Aston Villa statement on Steven Gerrard’s firing
“Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.
“A club spokesman said: ‘We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.’”
