Gerrard promises no-excuses culture at Villa
Steven Gerrard has warned his Aston Villa players there can be “no excuses” as he prepares for the first Premier League assignment of his managerial career.
Villa appointed the 41-year-old last week, paying Rangers compensation of around £4.5million, and Gerrard’s arrival has generated a tidal wave of optimism ahead of his opening game at home to Brighton this weekend.
Gerrard, who took training for the first time yesterday, said: “There’s certainly no excuses in this building. The resources, the structure, the staff, the amount of support the players have, for me it’s got to be a no-excuse culture or a noblame culture because they’ve got real good people here, good staff.
“Every area is covered with highclass, elite facilities, but the most important thing is what happens on the grass; that’s down to me and my staff to try and install a new way of playing, a new philosophy and identity that the players can pick up very quickly. There are two ways to look at pressure: you can shy away from it, or you can be really excited about it. The more united we are and together we are, we can face all that pressure together.”
Gerrard inherits a team who have lost five successive Premier League games, with Villa only two points above the relegation zone. But he insisted he would handle the hysteria which will surround his emotional return to former club Liverpool on Dec 11.
“I can’t control the noise. That’s not important. What is important is the chance to go to Anfield and win,” he said. “One thing I can guarantee the players, the staff and all the supporters is when I commit to something, I am all-in.”