ASTON VILLA VS WEST HAM: STEVEN GERRARD KNOWS A VICTORY WILL SILENCE DOUBTERS
Steven Gerrard is targeting victory over West Ham to help quieten the critics after Villa’s stumbling start to the season. Though the campaign is not even a month old, Gerrard is aware of the scrutiny upon both himself and his team following some unconvincing performances and a return of just three points from the first three Premier League matches.
Yet it is in the league where the 42-year-old knows his reign will ultimately be judged and there they have been underwhelming, beating Everton 2-1 in their only previous home match but losing on the road to newly-promoted Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. With more than two decades experience as a player and now manager, Gerrard accepts criticism is part of the game, even though it now appears in more mediums than ever before.
Gerrard’s biggest headache in terms of team selection, as it has been for throughout the whole season, is which pairing to choose at centre-half. To date has named a different duo in all four matches and Villa, hit hard by the loss to injury of Diego Carlos, are yet to keep a clean sheet. Gerrard says he wants Villa Park to be rocking and behind the team just like they were against Everton.