Steven Gerrard was in front of the cameras on Friday afternoon to preview Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.
The Aston Villa head coach was asked about the permanent signing of Philippe Coutinho, the End of Season Awards Dinner, his opposite number Patrick Vieira and his hopes for the final three games of the season.
Here’s what he had to say…
On team news…
“Ollie hasn’t trained yet since the game (against Liverpool), but he’s still got a chance to be involved.
“We’re hoping he’s going to take part in tomorrow’s session. He’s got a knock on his ankle. I don’t think it’s too serious, I’m told by the doctor he’ll be coming out tomorrow to try and train so, all being well, he’ll be available.
“JJ is back in the group, he’s trained for the last couple of days and is looking good, looking strong. So that’s a big positive for us.
“Emi Buendía left training yesterday with a knock but trained today so that’s no issue. Leon Bailey and Kortney Hause still aren’t ready to return.
“Everyone else is ready to go.”
On Philippe Coutinho signing permanently…
“We’re very pleased with the news. I was aware a little bit before it was announced yesterday, and I think it’s fantastic news for everyone connected with the club, most importantly the supporters.
“The reaction has been very positive because you’ve seen over the last five months he's played very well. There’s still loads left in him, in our opinion.
“To have him here full-time and settled, he’ll go up another level because that feeling of knowing where he’s going to be playing his football for the next four years will help him settle.
“He’s a player that needs to feel wanted; he needs to feel support. Everyone has played a part – me, the coaching staff, all the support staff and, most importantly, the owners, Christian Purslow and Johan Lange have made him feel really special.
“That’s where the decision’s come from. He feels really happy here and it’s fantastic that he wants to be part of this journey.”
On Matty Cash winning Supporters’ Player of the Season…
“Matty’s a humble kid; great to work with. He’s very energetic and an infectious character and I’m sure he’s delighted with that.
“If you get the vote from your supporters, it’s a really important award. I know he’s very grateful for that, but I know it’s important that he goes and finishes the season strongly because he’s been very consistent for us.
“We still feel there’s growth and improvement in Matty – that’s the exciting thing. He’s a pleasure to work with on a daily basis and he brings a lot of energy and quality to the group.”
On Patrick Vieira…
“He’s been named today on a shortlist for Manager of the Year, so that says everything about his debut campaign.
“He went away from Manchester City after being involved with the under-23s set-up and took over New York City, so I watched them quite a bit because of my attachment to the MLS.
“He’s gone and learned and took on a big challenge there. He felt ready to come back into the Premier League and he took a similar job to myself, a team that was down in the league.
“He recruited extremely well and changed the style from the Roy Hodgson era. Crystal Palace are playing with a bit more flair and style and they’ve got some really bright attacking players.
“He’s building something really good there.”
On the final three games…
“In my shoes, there’s always got to be a purpose and importance to every single game. We’re representing Aston Villa, we’ve got 20,000 people waiting to have a season ticket in the stadium – you saw the atmosphere the other night – and they're paying good money to come and support the team.
“There’s always a purpose for the supporters, but also for self-pride, for your own drive. You’ve got to have that drive inside you to compete every time you go onto a football pitch.
“For me, it’s extremely important that we finish the season strongly in the last three games.”
