Roy Keane floats Aston Villa stay of execution for Steven Gerrard one key condition

Roy Keane hopes Steven Gerrard is given until January to turn things around at Aston Villa. But he reckons his players aren't helping him out, with a lack of "bottle" beginning to show.

It's already beginning to seem like Villa will face a fight to stay in the Premier League and they had to scrap for a point against Nottingham Forest on Monday night. Ashley Young's equaliser bailed them out and may have bought the former Rangers boss more time but they sit 16th in the table with just two wins in nine.

He's under serious pressure and Keane, a former rival of Gerrard's while playing for Manchester United, thinks he might be on borrowed time. But he hopes the Villa board will show patience and give him until after the World Cup to get things back on track. "They've got no bottle, that Villa team. For all their so-called attacking players, they didn't do enough to get a result today and they'll be kicking themselves.

"From Villa's point of view, I couldn't believe how bad their attacking players were (against Forest). You can come off the pitch and it's 1-1 and the goalkeeper made six brilliant saves and he's man of the match - that happens. But when you walk off and it's 1-1 and you're thinking 'we haven't even tested the goalkeeper'.

"You're thinking about your attacking players, they are key to him. The bottom line is you've got to put the ball in the back of the net, that's what you're in the team for.

"If you're not doing it and you get to January, hopefully he does, then you have to get the players in who can score the goals for Villa because these lads aren't doing it at this moment in time. You can't keep waiting."

READ NEXT

Ally McCoist in Steven Gerrard confession over post Rangers coaching habit as Aston