Merson backing Lampard and Gerrard as leading Aston Villa candidates

After
suffering
a
fifth
straight
defeat
by
going
down
1-0
to
Southampton
on
Friday
(November
5),
Smith
became
the
fifth
Premier
League
manager
to
lose
his
job
this
season.

The
former
Brentford
boss
spent
three
years
at
Villa
Park,
guiding
his
boyhood
club
back
into
the
Premier
League
at
the
first
attempt
before
establishing
their
top-flight
status
with
a
creditable
11th-place
finish
last
term.

However,
the
50-year-old
ultimately
paid
the
price
after
the
Southampton
defeat
left
Villa
just
two
points
and
two
places
above
the
relegation
zone.

Merson,
who
spent
four
years
at
the
club
between
1998
and
2002,
sympathised
with
Smith
and
believes
his
impressive
work
warranted
the
opportunity
to
turn
their
fortunes
around.

But
the
former
Arsenal
man
has
urged
his
old
club
to
consider
replacing
Smith
with
either
Lampard
and
Gerrard.

While
Merson
acknowledges
it
would
be
difficult
to
persuade
Gerrard,
who
guided
Rangers
to
the
Scottish
Premiership
title
last
season,
he
feels
the
lure
of
the
Premier
League
would
be
tough
to
turn
down.

Merson
told
Sky
Sports:
“I
would
like
to
see
a
Frank
Lampard
or
Steven
Gerrard
get
the
job.

“It’s
going
to
be
hard
to
prise
Steven
away,
he’s
managing
a
massive
club
in
Rangers.

“He’s
got
them
buzzing
again;
he
stopped
Celtic
winning
10
in
a
row,
they
are
in
the
Europa
League,
and
they’ve
got
a
chance
of
winning
the
Scottish
Premiership.

“Everyone
wants
to
manage
in
the
Premier
League;
that
is
no
disrespect
to
the
Scottish
Premiership.
Rangers
and
Celtic
are
bigger
clubs
than
probably
half
of
the
teams
in
the
Premier
League.

“But
it’s
the
Premier
League,
and
when
you
start
out
managing,
I’m
sure
in
the
back
of
people’s
minds
if
you
could
get
a
job
like
Aston
Villa
–
wow.”

Merson
also
highlighted
the
credentials
of
former
Chelsea
boss
Lampard
who,
though
restricted
by
financial
sanctions
imposed
on
the
club,
guided
the
Blues
to
the
2020
FA
Cup
final
and
Champions
League
qualification.

The
43-year-old,
who
previously
steered
Derby
County
to
the
Championship
play-off
final,
also
regularly
gave
youth
the
opportunity
to
shine
at
Stamford
Bridge,
the
likes
of
Mason
Mount,
Tammy
Abraham
and
Reece
James
all
stepping
up
to
the
plate.

Merson
feels
that
quality
would
certainly
complement
the
scenario
at
Villa.

“I
think
you
have
to
put
Frank’s
name
in
the
hat
as
well,”
he
added.

“He’s
managed
Chelsea,
where
he
did
a
great
job
in
steadying
the
ship
at
the
time.

“If
you
look
at
all
the
kids
who
have
come
through
at
Chelsea
since,
and
then
look
at
Aston
Villa’s
academy,
it’s
very
good
as
well.

“On
Friday
night,
Dean
Smith
had
five
or
six
players
from
the
academy
in
the
squad
for
what
was
his
final
game.”

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