Deano: Boss is not only one to blame
FORMER Villa striker Dean Saunders believes the players should take a sizeable portion of the responsibility for the club’s woes amid the increasing pressure on head coach Steven Gerrard.
Villa were on a four-match unbeaten run prior to the defeat to Chelsea but managed just a single win in that time.
It is now one win in seven in the Premier League, a streak that leaves Villa just a point above the relegation zone.
Despite investment in the squad, and the talent Villa boast in attacking personnel, they have scored just seven goals all season – the same number as rock-bottom Nottingham Forest. Only Wolves have scored fewer.
Saunders, who played more than 100 times for Villa in the 1990s and helped them lift the 1994 League Cup, says it is about time the squad take their fair share of the responsibility – namely Philippe Coutinho, whose impact has been minimal.
“They’ve scored seven goals all season so, after watching their last game against Forest, he’s decided they need to get more players in the box,” he said.
“He’s left Buendia out, he’s left Coutinho out, because they’re not creating and they’re not scoring.
“Instead of having a go at Steven Gerrard, you’ve got to start pointing the finger at some of the players. What’s your job? What’s your role in the team?
“Say, Coutinho – your job is to score goals and make goals. That’s why you’re here. How many goals have you scored? How many assists have you made? Are you getting on the ball for us? The answer is no.
“What can Steven Gerrard do about Coutinho’s form, apart from trying to encourage him and to show him videos? At the end of the day, the players have got to go out and do what they’re being paid to do in the position they’re playing in.”