Aston Villa: What Went Wrong and Can Steven Gerrard Fix It?

Aston Villa have certainly seen better times, and it’s no surprise they recently sacked Manager Dean Smith after a horrible run of form that saw them lose six out of seven matches in all competitions. But Villa and Smith had been there before, at the tail end of the 2019-20 Premier League season, Villa were gifted a point by VAR’s Hawk-Eye goal-line technology against Sheffield United when the edge of the line was obscured by players and the tech couldn’t see that the ball had crossed the Villa goalline.

At the end of the season Villa finished one point ahead of Bournemouth who were relegated and doomed to financial free-fall. Although Villa would go on to justify their PL inclusion the next season with a 10th place finish, questions have arisen once-more this season after their most recent poor run of form left the Villains in 16th place in the Premier League after 11 match days.

Smith’s replacement Steven Gerrard has made an immediate impact as Villa beat Brighton 2-0 in this weekend’s clash thanks to two late goals from Ollie Watkins and the captain Tyrone Mings. What exactly went wrong with Dean Smith’s Villa this season, and how can Steven Gerrard’s Villa right the ship? 

Firstly, Dean Smith. Smith has managed Villa since the financial takeover by billionaires Nassef Sawiris, and Wes Edens was completed in 2018. Villa are Smith’s boyhood club and he has never technically been sacked during a managerial career (until last weekend) still in its nascency that began in 2011 with his first job as manager of League One outfit Walsall.