Gerard out? Aston Villa could turn to Tuchel as they 'wait' on prime target
Aston Villa could turn to former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as they seek 'distinct progression' over Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard's side sit 16th in the table having scored just seven Premier League goals this season and fans have shown their desire to see the Liverpool legend back in recent weeks.
>Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne, Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek all arrived this summer but failed to make a significant impact due to injury, poor form or bad luck. 'a lack of playing time.
Carlos and Kamara are both injured while Dendoncker and Bednarek are yet to start a match.
The Telegraph claims Gerrard is set for 'the most critical week of his year in charge' as he prepares his side for a trip to Fulham on Thursday night before hosting Brentford at Villa Park on Sunday.
The report reads: "Even if he somehow survived a defeat to Fulham, it is believed that Villa would have to beat Brentford to give Gerrard a chance to survive sacking - although even it may turn out to be a stay of execution."
Mauricio Pochettino is claimed to be Villa's top target with co-owner Nassef Sawiris set to lead the process alongside Wes Edes, chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange.
It will likely be a difficult task to persuade Pochettino to join the club given that he has spent the past six years leading the Champions League with Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
But if he showed interest, Villa would be "almost certainly ready to wait for him".
Should they fail to land their main target, 'more ambitious checks' could be made on Tuchel, who is out of work after being sacked by Chelsea last month, while the former Arsenal boss , Unai Emery, currently in charge of Villarreal, has also been suggested as a possible option.
The report says the owners are aiming for a "distinct progression" on Gerrard, who said after the Chelsea loss that "it's not all wrong".
"We know - and I'll say it as loud as you want me to say it - that we're not firing on all cylinders," he said.
"But there are also a lot of things that go well with our appearance. Our defensive structure, the effort and commitment of the boys, we get a lot of players back into better shape.
"We know that the last element, the execution part, will come. Players will step forward and enjoy these moments. A little confidence or belief in a great moment or a little luck can work in our favor and we can get there and start firing full throttle.
"Not everything is wrong in my eyes. I see a lot of good things. The players see it too and we remind them.
"When you say, 'four games unbeaten', that sounds better than it is because we know the last two should have been six points out of six, and we would have been talking about the best place where Villa been since I walked through the door.
"The margins are small and thin, but we know very well where we should be. It's on me and it's on us."
READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Arsenal Champions Week and Guardiola's Anfield complex
Aston Villa could turn to former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as they seek 'distinct progression' over Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard's side sit 16th in the table having scored just seven Premier League goals this season and fans have shown their desire to see the Liverpool legend back in recent weeks.
>Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne, Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek all arrived this summer but failed to make a significant impact due to injury, poor form or bad luck. 'a lack of playing time.
Carlos and Kamara are both injured while Dendoncker and Bednarek are yet to start a match.
The Telegraph claims Gerrard is set for 'the most critical week of his year in charge' as he prepares his side for a trip to Fulham on Thursday night before hosting Brentford at Villa Park on Sunday.
The report reads: "Even if he somehow survived a defeat to Fulham, it is believed that Villa would have to beat Brentford to give Gerrard a chance to survive sacking - although even it may turn out to be a stay of execution."
Mauricio Pochettino is claimed to be Villa's top target with co-owner Nassef Sawiris set to lead the process alongside Wes Edes, chief executive Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange.
It will likely be a difficult task to persuade Pochettino to join the club given that he has spent the past six years leading the Champions League with Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
But if he showed interest, Villa would be "almost certainly ready to wait for him".
Should they fail to land their main target, 'more ambitious checks' could be made on Tuchel, who is out of work after being sacked by Chelsea last month, while the former Arsenal boss , Unai Emery, currently in charge of Villarreal, has also been suggested as a possible option.
The report says the owners are aiming for a "distinct progression" on Gerrard, who said after the Chelsea loss that "it's not all wrong".
"We know - and I'll say it as loud as you want me to say it - that we're not firing on all cylinders," he said.
"But there are also a lot of things that go well with our appearance. Our defensive structure, the effort and commitment of the boys, we get a lot of players back into better shape.
"We know that the last element, the execution part, will come. Players will step forward and enjoy these moments. A little confidence or belief in a great moment or a little luck can work in our favor and we can get there and start firing full throttle.
"Not everything is wrong in my eyes. I see a lot of good things. The players see it too and we remind them.
"When you say, 'four games unbeaten', that sounds better than it is because we know the last two should have been six points out of six, and we would have been talking about the best place where Villa been since I walked through the door.
"The margins are small and thin, but we know very well where we should be. It's on me and it's on us."
READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Arsenal Champions Week and Guardiola's Anfield complex
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