GONE IN 63 SECONDS
Bailey’s early goal puts the Gerrard era behind Villa
APENNY for Steven Gerrard’s thoughts. If only he had dropped his captain, imagine what he could have achieved at Aston Villa.
Football is a little more complicated than that, of course. Yet just three days after Gerrard was sacked on the night of Villa’s 3- 0 humiliation at Fulham, caretaker boss Aaron Danks inspired the sort of performance Gerrard was dreaming of.
Local lad Danks’ first team selection made it clear he is not here simply to steady the ship. Out went John McGinn, the man Gerrard made captain at the start of the season, and Jacob Ramsey, rated so highly by Gerrard. In came Leander Dendoncker, signed in the summer but never trusted by Gerrard, and Emiliano Buendia in a 4-2-3-1 formation that had attackers Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey providing the width, rather than the full backs.
Danks, who helped England win the Under 20 World Cup five years ago, tore up Gerrard’s blueprint and could not have wished for a better response. With 63 seconds on the clock Leon Bailey put Villa ahead and within 15 minutes the game was won thanks to a Danny Ings double, the second a penalty.
Ollie Watkins made it four in the second half and Villa could have had more. If he were watching, Gerrard would be entitled to wonder why these players rarely played like this for him.
The sight of Philippe Coutinho, a second-half substitute, walking with head bowed down the tunnel at full time as his team-mates celebrated showed the Gerrard era was truly over.
Gerrard hung his hat on his former Liverpool team-mate by pushing to make Coutinho’s £17m signing permanent but the Brazilian did not repay that faith.
Villa have targeted Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank — in the opposite dugout here — and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, but if they carry on like this Danks may fancy his chances as well.
Frank is expected to sign a new deal with Brentford but needs to improve their alarming away form. That is nine goals conceded in two games on the road.
In a flash, Villa were ahead. Brentford switched off at a corner, allowing Douglas Luiz to combine with Buendia and set up Bailey, who drove home from 12 yards.
Brentford’s wing-backs could not handle Villa and the home side made it two in the seventh minute when Ings turned in Bailey’s cut-back at the near post.
Watkins came close moments later when Emiliano Martinez released him with a fabulous delivery from goal, forcing David Raya to turn a rising effort behind.
Ings then scored his second when Kristoffer Ajer hauled Tyrone Mings to the ground at a corner. He sent Raya the wrong way from the spot in front of the Holte End. Villa had scored as many goals in 14 minutes as they had managed in Gerrard’s final six matches.
Brentford looked as surprised as everyone else to see Villa so fluent. Buendia collected Ings’s backheel and fired wide. Luiz’s sweet strike from 25 yards was just off target, before he came even closer by hitting the post direct from a corner.
Raya then saved well from Watkins and kept out Matty Cash’s angled drive. For Brentford, Bryan Mbeumo was denied when set up by Ivan Toney, but that was all they offered in the first half.
Frank took off Mads Roerslev and Frank Onyeka for Sergi Canos and Josh Dasilva at half-time, but it made little difference and Villa went 4-0 up just before the hour.
Ings’ clever touch set Bailey free to cross for Watkins, whose first shot was saved before Raya turned the follow- up on to the post. Watkins kept at it and forced home his first goal in nine games.
There were ovations for every one of Villa substitutions as the home crowd, who had turned so decisively against Gerrard, were in high spirits again.
Villa will try to appoint Gerrard’s permanent successor this week but Danks has given them something to build on.