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Tag: Steven Gerrard

  • Why Gerrard was the best I faced in EPL – Mike Obi

    Why Gerrard was the best I faced in EPL – Mike Obi

    Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel rates Steven Gerrard as the best player he faced in the Premier League.

    The Nigerian concedes a clash with the Liverpool legend was always a battle.

    “I’ve always said my toughest opponent in the Premier League was Stevie G,” he told Rio Ferdinand’s Five podcast. “You remember when he started playing as a No.10 for Liverpool, with Fernando Torres up front? Oh my God!”

    The former Nigeria international continued: “Quick, technically very good, strong, powerful, he could tackle as well. You’re looking at a No.10 who could tackle! I know he didn’t play in that position for very long, but he was the guy who was very, very difficult to play against. He knew how to find the space in between you and the defenders.

    “Yeah, for me, Stevie G was the guy, he was that good.”

  • Why Steven Gerrard had to be sacked – Aston Villa chief

    Why Steven Gerrard had to be sacked – Aston Villa chief

    Aston Villa chief Christian Purslow says sacking Steven Gerrard was a difficult call.

    Gerrard was axed and replaced by Unai Emery before Christmas.

    “I supported Liverpool,” Purslow told Sky Sports. “I was a third generation – my grandparents and my father were from Liverpool and Liverpool fans. And so, like many, many football fans in the country, one grows up as a kid, following in your dad’s footsteps.

    “Yes, it was [a difficult decision]. It was very tough. He’s a very good person I’ve known for a long time. When I was at Liverpool, he was the captain of the club. But, my priority is Aston Villa, and doing the right thing for our club, and it hadn’t worked out.

    “Steven would be the first to admit that. You have to do the right thing. The board thought about things. I think we let things ride for a while and then made that tough decision and moved on.”

  • Spanish gaffer, Unai Emery replaces Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa

    Spanish gaffer, Unai Emery replaces Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa

    Spanish gaffer, Unai Emery has been appointed the new Aston Villa manager in the English Premier League.

    Emery has said goodbye to his former club side Villareal in the Spanish La liga after spending three seasons with them.

    He was hired by Villarreal in July 2020, where he won the Europa League in his first season and guided the club to a Champions League semi-final run in the following season

    The Spaniard will replace Steven Gerrard who was sacked last week by the Premier League side Aston Villa over a poor return of results.

    This was confirmed by football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, on Monday night.

    Romano tweeted: “Aston Villa are now closing in on Unai Emery appointment, confirmed. Deal is considered set to be completed on a long-term project

    “Villarreal sources again think he’s gone, as reported earlier.

    “Villarreal, informed that €6m release clause will be activated by AVFC.”

    Emery has previously coached in England’s top flight. He replaced Arsene Wenger in 2018 and led Arsenal to a fifth place finish, missing out by a single point on automatic Champions League qualification.

    He was sacked in November 2019, before taking the Villarreal job in July 2020.

  • BREAKING: Aston Villa sack Gerrard after Fulham defeat

    BREAKING: Aston Villa sack Gerrard after Fulham defeat

    Premier League club Aston Villa has sacked manager Steven Gerrard following Thursday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat at Fulham.

    A club spokesman said: “We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”

    Villa have won just twice in the league this season and only sit above the relegation zone on goals scored.

    Details to follow…

  • Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Gerrard predicts winner of Champions League final

    Former England and Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, has predicted the Champions League final between the Premier League side Liverpool and Real Madrid.

    According to Gerrard, Liverpool  will win the game in Paris by  2-0.

    Gerrard who made this prediction via his twitter account mentioned in a video that the Reds will defeat Real Madrid by 2-0 in Paris.

     

    Recall that Gerrard lifted the Champions League title with Liverpool in 2005 after defeating AC Milan 5-4 on Penalties in Instabul.

    “Hopefully it’ll be a fantastic game and I predict a 2-0 Liverpool win,” Gerrard said.

  • Gerrard to sit out 2 Aston Villa games after positive COVID-19 test

    Gerrard to sit out 2 Aston Villa games after positive COVID-19 test

    Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will miss the team’s next two English Premier League (EPL) matches after testing positive for COVID-19, the English club said on Saturday.

    Gerrard, 41, who joined the club last month, will miss both Sunday’s home game against Chelsea and Tuesday’s trip to Leeds United while isolating.

    Former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard has led Aston Villa to four wins in six league games since taking over as the manager after the club sacked Dean Smith.

    Aston Villa are 10th in the league on 22 points after 17 matches.

    “Aston Villa can confirm Head Coach Steven Gerrard will be unable to attend our next two Premier League matches with Chelsea and Leeds United as he will be isolating after testing positive for COVID-19,” the club statement read.

    Aston Villa’s league game at home to Burnley last week was postponed about two hours before kick-off due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club.

    A record 90 new COVID-19 cases were detected among Premier League players and staff in the past week, while 13 games have been postponed so far due to the virus.

    Britain reported a record 122,186 new daily COVID-19 cases on Friday as it battles a surge in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant.

  • Liverpool beat Aston Villa on Gerrard’s return to Anfield

    Liverpool beat Aston Villa on Gerrard’s return to Anfield

    Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard made a losing return to Anfield as Liverpool continued their pursuit of Premier League leaders Manchester City with a hard-earned victory.

    Former Liverpool captain Gerrard was, predictably, given a rapturous reception after playing 710 games and scoring 186 goals for the club while winning the Champions League, FA Cup, Uefa Cup and League Cup.

    Gerrard’s response to the adulation was low-key as his Villa side, who had won three of his first four games in charge since arriving from Rangers, set about making life difficult for Liverpool and frustrating the Kop.

    Villa achieved their aim, aided by fine saves from keeper Emi Martinez, until they were finally undone in the 67th minute when Tyrone Mings bundled Mohamed Salah to the ground, the Egyptian scoring the spot-kick in emphatic fashion, the win leaving Liverpool in second place a point behind Manchester City.

    Substitute Danny Ings almost took advantage of a late mix-up between Liverpool keeper Alisson and Joel Matip which left Villa fans demanding a penalty in vain, but Jurgen Klopp’s side closed out the win.

  • Rangers fans have every right to feel betrayed by Gerrard – Dalglish

    Rangers fans have every right to feel betrayed by Gerrard – Dalglish

    Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish says Rangers fans have every right to feel let down by Steven Gerrard.

    Former Reds captain Gerrard quit Rangers to charge of Aston Villa last week.

    “In the days since Steven Gerrard left Rangers for Aston Villa, I don’t think the anger from the Rangers fans has subsided any,” Dalglish wrote in his Sunday Post column.

    “They have every right to be disappointed and hurt.

    “They feel let down and betrayed, and the range of emotions we’ve witnessed on social media are fully understandable.

    “Many of them are still feeling very raw, and I can see why they are feeling dejected. One reason is the timing of Steven’s departure.

    “He has left in mid-season, with a League Cup semi-final with Hibs and a huge Europa League tie against Sparta Prague on the horizon.

    “And after the Europa League win over Brondby recently, when pressed live on TV about speculation around him moving to Newcastle United, he stated he was happy at the club.

    “But he couldn’t control when another club came in for him. Aston Villa made their move and he was persuaded to move back down south.

    “Football is all about moving from here to there. It has always happened, and it will continue to happen.”

  • Torres move to Chelsea broke my heart – Gerrard

    Torres move to Chelsea broke my heart – Gerrard

    Rangers manager Steven Gerrard admits Fernando Torres’ decision to leave Liverpool ‘broke his heart’ and revealed he did all he could to keep him at the club.

    Torres scored 81 times in just 142 matches for Liverpool and almost ended their long wait for a Premier League title in 2008/09.

    But just 18 months later, he sealed a controversial £50million transfer to rivals Chelsea, a move that had a great impact on Gerrard.

    “I was really, really gutted (when Torres left),” he told the Robbie Fowler Podcast. “We’re working so hard at this point to try and get as close as we can to close the gap and challenge.

    “At Liverpool at the time it always felt like we were taking huge strides and getting close and progressing really well, and then at a really key time and a key moment for the team and the group, a big player gets taken away and it takes time to recover from that.

    “My relationship with Torres, I was getting a lot of goals at that time. I was at my peak and felt fantastic.

    “I understand everyone’s situation is different. People have dreams and different paths and they’re not all local lads who love the club.

    “I appreciate and respect all that, but at the same time it still hurts when someone leaves a club.

    “I’ve told Fernando that. I tried to get him to stay. I told his agent the same. They were both at Melwood but they made a decision and that decision was out of my hands. It hurt a lot.”

  • Steven Gerrard reveals he rejected move to Chelsea

    Steven Gerrard reveals he rejected move to Chelsea

    Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has revealed all about his failed switch to Chelsea.

    Gerrard flirted with the idea of joining Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge before eventually signing an extension with Liverpool six weeks after winning the Champions League in 2005.

    Speaking to Gary Neville on Sky Sports Soccer Box, Gerrard said: “I regret the little bit of flirting back then and how that all blew up,

    “The fact is I didn’t know whether I was coming or going with Rafa at the time. Rafa was having conversations with me like ‘I know your agent is talking to Real Madrid and Chelsea’.

    “I got a paranoid feeling at the time that Rafa would have taken money to try and build Liverpool on.

    “Chelsea bid £37.5 million. At the time, massive amounts of dough but what would you get for that now?”

    Neville interjected: “Half a Fred!”

    Gerrard continued: “[Jose] Mourinho was a massive part of that. A lack of maturity on my part allowed me to think about it and flirt with that idea a bit.

    “But now I have no regrets at all because Liverpool are the club I love – and that’s the way it should be.”