Aston Villa: 'Massive decision’ on Gerrard could happen soon at Villa Park

Aston Villa may face a ‘massive decision’ regarding the future of manager Steven Gerrard if they are convincingly beaten by Southampton on Friday night, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Gerrard has overseen a tough start to the season in the West Midlands with his future at Villa Park coming into question in the process.

The Liverpool legend has moved to spark his side into life over the past couple of weeks, calling up a trio of under-21 stars to first-team training, potentially with an eye on giving underperforming stars a kick-start.

The pressure is on Gerrard, however, and after his side were beaten 2-1 by Arsenal, he admitted that he is concerned for his safety.

When asked in his post-match press conference whether he feared for his job, he replied: “Of course I do. I am really honest and critical of myself. If I stood here and said I wasn’t concerned I think you’d look at me as though I was from a different planet.”

After the loss, however, Villa held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in the West Midlands, perhaps hinting at a shift in form.

But the club still sit just one place above the relegation zone after six games, with one win to their name so the concerns remain ahead of the visit of Southampton.

Jones believes that, if Villa lose to Southampton, then the board will be faced with a huge decision regarding Gerrard’s future.

The international break is just around the corner and the former midfielder will no doubt be desperate to make it to that milestone.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “A big defeat to Saints will obviously test the board. Gerrard is not contemplating defeat going into the match, but if you’re humiliated in a fixture like that, then it’s a massive decision to make ahead of an international break.”

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