In Focus: Stevie must G up his players to get Villa on the move

Steven Gerrard took training at Aston Villa for the first time today — and he knows there is plenty of hard work ahead.

Villa host Brighton on Saturday on the back of a run of five straight Premier League defeats, which ultimately led to Dean Smith’s dismissal.

With the Midlands outfit sitting 16th in the table, the Liverpool legend will want to get his new side moving as quickly as possible.

We look at the five key areas Gerrard, 41, must address as he looks to hit the ground running after trading Rangers for life at Villa Park.

Get the frontline firing

Villa lost captain Jack Grealish during the summer but a host of big-name signings ensured expectations remained high.

Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey arrived to cover the loss of the England international in the hope the Villans could continue their progression and challenge for a European spot this term.

But the trio, as Smith argued after his sacking, have been on the pitch together for only 34 minutes across two games amid struggles with injuries, consistency and confidence.

The need to also include Ollie Watkins, who finished as the club’s top scorer last season, saw Villa shift to a 5-3-2 formation — a system wingers Buendia and Bailey do not naturally to fit into.

But all four attackers have impressed at times and there is undoubted potential for a dangerous frontline to be nurtured and shaped under Gerrard’s stewardship.

Restore defensive solidity

Villa appeared destined for a European spot last season before eventually falling away.

A key part of that success was their ability to shut out opponents — their tally of 15 clean sheets was only bettered by Manchester City and Chelsea.

But while the back five of Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Matt Targett is still in place, that defensive solidity has all but vanished with 20 league goals conceded this term.

During Gerrard’s time at Rangers, he oversaw a remarkable transformation in their defensive performance.

The Gers conceded 50 goals in the campaign before his arrival but that fell to 27 in his first year in charge and to just 13 as they won the title last season.

Following his unveiling, the former England star said: “One thing I’d like to instil and improve on is the structure of the team from a defensive point of view.

“Out of possession, our distances, our shape and what we do to regain the ball is very important to me.”

Gerrard will need to work similar wonders at Villa as he did north of the border and will know he already has players capable of forming a watertight defence.

Mentor the midfield

Villa’s dysfunctional midfield has been another reason for their struggles of late, so who better to solve that issue than one of the Premier League’s best in the middle of the park?

Injuries to Douglas Luiz and Morgan Sanson have not helped, while deputy Marvelous Nakamba has struggled to prove himself a worthy partner to John McGinn.

Grealish was often able to drop deeper to take the ball in difficult areas and Villa are now less comfortable building possession in order to control games — they are 16th in the top flight for passes completed per 90 minutes (357.73).

In McGinn, Gerrard will surely see a player he can develop to reach even higher levels, while his arrival is also likely to have a positive impact on emerging 20-year-old Jacob Ramsey.

Getting the midfield functioning well could be key to establishing an identity Villa have lacked this season.

Carry on the fan connection

In Smith — a boyhood fan of the club — Villa supporters had a man they could instantly relate to in the dugout.

Gerrard does not have that immediate connection but the passion he showed when playing for Liverpool, as well as the way he immersed himself at Rangers, suggests he will look to build a connection with the fans from the off.

And in his first interview, he said all the right things to get the fanbase on his side.

He added: “I think this club will suit me because I know the fans are very passionate.

“I know there’s a demand and a pressure here to win, that’s something I’ve lived with since I was 17-18.

“One thing I can guarantee the supporters, the players and the staff here is that when I commit to something, I’m all in.”

Promote youth

Utilising an academy bursting with exciting talent could be key to Villa’s progression.

Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have placed heavy emphasis on having a regular flow of impressive youngsters coming through to build a sustainable future for the club.

Last season’s FA Youth Cup triumph shows that policy is starting to bear fruit and Gerrard will be expected to show there is a pathway to the first team, just as Smith previously did.

Gerrard is not short of youngsters he can blood, with the aforementioned Ramsey already a first-team regular and teenagers Cameron Archer, Carney Chukwuemeka and Jaden Philogene-Bidace all receiving minutes this season.