Gerrard on the up but Roy’s boys are down
STEVEN GERRARD hailed Aston Villa’s performance following their 3-1 win away to Burnley.
Former Claret Danny Ings opened the scoring just seven minutes in at Turf Moor before Emi Buendia, architect of the first goal, doubled the lead in the 31st minute and Ollie Watkins finished Burnley off early in the second half regardless of Maxwel Cornet’s late consolation.
‘The majority of it I thought was a really strong away performance,’ the Villa boss said. ‘With all due respect we were better, stronger, in every department.
‘Obviously I was a little frustrated we didn’t see it out with a clean sheet because I thought we deserved that but we won’t
let that spoil what was a fantastic performance to a man today.’
Buendia and Ings had both come into the starting line-up having played as substitutes in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Norwich and impressed again.
Buendia got the nod over Philippe Coutinho, who has gone six games without a goal or an assist after scoring four and creating three in his first eight games for the club.
Gerrard said the decision was taken with an eye on a busy finish to the season, with this the first of five games in two weeks, and insisted he still wanted to take up the £33million option to make Coutinho’s loan from Barcelona permanent.
‘We want Phil Coutinho here for sure,’ Gerrard said, before adding that the Brazilian had fully accepted the reasons for his benching.
‘There’s not much ego in this group, they’re a good set of lads and they know the schedule we’ve got,’ he said.
‘Both Phil and Emil will get enough game time to keep them satisfied. Phil understands that he’s played a lot and he’s respectful enough to know that Emi deserves a chance.’
Meanwhile, Ralph Hasenhuttl admits he understands why Southampton supporters rained down criticism of his management as they slumped to defeat at Brentford.
The Bees eased to a 3-0 victory as skipper Pontus Jansson and recalled Yoane Wissa struck in the first half before Kristoffer Ajer’s first Brentford goal all-but rubberstamped their top-flight status.
Saints, meanwhile, are stuttering towards the end of the season and are still not mathematically safe from the drop, albeit a catastrophic series of results would be required to see Hasenhuttl’s side relegated.
After Hasenhuttl replaced Stuart Armstrong with Oriol Romeu, the away fans began chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ followed by a chorus of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’.
Asked about the negativity from his own fans, Hasenhuttl replied: ‘At that time they were absolutely frustrated and I understand it completely.
‘I take it absolutely, no problem. I am responsible for the results, for the mistakes my players make.
‘This is my job. We can understand the frustration because at the moment we are not playing like a Premier League team, especially not in and around the boxes.
‘It is not something that should hurt, this is the business. It doesn’t help when I get emotional or whatever.’
Elsewhere, Roy Hodgson insisted he had no regrets about taking the Watford job after relegation was confirmed following a 1-0 defeat at old club Crystal Palace.
Wilfried Zaha’s 31st-minute penalty consigned the Hornets to a 25th Premier League loss of the campaign, which sealed their fate but the writing had been on the wall after last weekend’s 2-1 reverse at home to Burnley.
The 74-year-old came out of retirement in January to try and keep Watford in the division but was only able to secure two wins and this is the first time he has ever been relegated from the Premier League.
‘No, none at all,’ Hodgson insisted when asked if he regretted taking the job. I have never sat and given a press conference in charge of a (top flight) team that has been relegated. It is a first for me and it is a first I wasn’t looking forward to claiming.
‘I haven’t felt good all week and the only thing that has cheered me up is the fact the players today showed a lot of character and gave a good performance.’
During a distinguished managerial career that started in 1976, Hodgson’s only previous taste of relegation was from his short spell in charge of Bristol City 40 years ago.