What Gerrard needs to fix before Villa can turn season round

Top-eight place still on the cards if new manager sparks key players into life and can plug the side’s leaky rearguard

Create a new style of play and tighten up the defence

The sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City was a huge blow to Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard’s predecessor Dean Smith, and there are alarming statistics underpinning the club’s record without their former captain.

But Villa had to move on and recruiting the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey over the summer was designed to decrease the dependency on Grealish and extend the squad’s options.

This was always likely to be a transitional season, but Smith’s hopes of establishing a new identity were damaged by injuries to many of the new signings.

Smith tinkered with formations and tactical approaches but it never seemed to work: Buendia, for example, has been played out of position as a No10 instead of out wide where he flourished at Norwich City.

At Rangers, Gerrard was renowned for attacking football but also a rock-solid defence. In the title-winning season his side managed 26 clean sheets. Villa managed only three under Smith this season, so the defence will be one of Gerrard’s first areas to address.

Signing a new left-back in January has to be a priority, as Matt Targett is not good enough for the top level and has little competition.

Revive Mings and Mcginn

One of Smith’s final decisive acts was to drop Tyrone Mings for the Premier League game against West Ham. It was a decision that had been coming.

Mings has struggled this season, making costly mistakes and performing way below the levels he is capable of. The Villa captain was even sweating over his England squad place this month.

But every team need a leader, and Gerrard will know that Mings can be the focal point for Villa. One of the abiding memories of football played behind closed doors was hearing Mings bellowing advice and delivering praise to his team-mates. He can be an inspirational presence, and the organisation and motivation he can bring to the team should be invaluable.

John Mcginn has also been underwhelming, appearing unsure of his role. He is the player many of the top six would love to sign and, as a midfielder, could be one who flourishes under Gerrard.

Find a way for Watkins and Ings to play together

Ollie Watkins was a revelation last season after the £28 million move from Brentford, establishing himself as a relentless pressing forward who was rewarded with a call-up to the England squad.

Ings, meanwhile, has a reputation in the Premier League which stretches back years, so the prospect of these two playing together was an exciting one. However, the “Watkings’ partnership has not worked out, partly because pre-season was disrupted by Covid so preparation suffered.

Ings had arguably his best game against Newcastle, scoring a stunning bicycle kick, on a day when Watkins was in the stands with a knee injury.

When Watkins did return, for the game at Chelsea, they struggled as a partnership. There was little evidence of chemistry and too often they seemed to get in each other’s way, though it could be argued there was little service.

Ings then suffered a hamstring injury this month which ruled him out of the 1-0 defeat at Southampton, in what was Smith’s final game.

Any forward pairing needs work and they have had to learn on the job, at a time when Smith was desperately trying to get results. Can the two of them play together, or operate better as a front three?

Gerrard needs to find a solution, for the results could be richly rewarding.

Target a top-eight finish

Gerrard will inherit a Villa team 16th in the Premier League, who have lost five games in a row. The former England midfielder has been a winner throughout his gilded career and will be under no illusions that Villa’s owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, remain fully focused on returning the club to European competition.

Finishing in the top eight was the ambition this season, and Gerrard will undoubtedly see it as still achievable. Beyond that, the ambition is to be competing regularly in the Champions League and follow the Villa mantra of “continuous improvement and progress”. He will unquestionably have the backing to do it – Villa’s owners have spent more than £300million since promotion from the Championship in 2019, and Gerrard will be assured of funds for the next transfer window.