Aston Villa manager odds: Dean Smith sacked, Gerrard, Terry and Fonseca linked

Sean Fisher
7 November 2021

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. Boss Dean Smith questioned Aston Villa's game management after their late collapse against Wolves

After five straight Premier League defeats left them 15th in the table, Aston Villa have decided to part ways with Dean Smith.

Five straight defeats and 13 goals conceded was enough to see Dean Smith follow Daniel Farke out the door at the weekend.

Smith had been in charge of his boyhood club since 2018 and led them to the Premier League after just a year in charge.

But after steadily progressing season by season, a torrid run of results saw his tenure come to an end, with a 1-0 loss to Southampton proving to be the final nail in the coffin.

Heavy spending in the summer added to his pressure, but it turns out the absence of Jack Grealish really did affect the Villans.

Now, needing to climb out the bottom half of the table, Villa are on the search for a new manager, and Planet Sport are here to run you through the leading contenders.

Paulo Fonseca

The man who seems to have been linked with every job in England. First he was favourite to become Tottenham's new manager in the summer, then Newcastle United and now he's reportedly on Villa's radar.

According to the Daily Mail, Villa are ready to turn to Fonseca and informal contact has been made with the representatives of the ex-Roma coach. The 48-year-old was linked with Villa before Smith took over in October 2018.

John Terry

He seems the most obvious replacement on paper. Terry spent the last season of his playing career at Villa before moving into a coaching role under Smith in 2018.

The former England defender left before the start of the season after admitting he wanted to focus on becoming a manager himself.

Villa improved dramatically last season when it came to defensive responsibilities, keeping 15 clean sheets in the Premier League. Terry is highly respected at the club by players, staff and the owners. Don't rule him out.

Steven Gerrard

Chris Sutton has said Gerrard "would quit" Rangers for Villa if he is offered the post. The Liverpool legend has built solid foundations with the Glasgow side since taking over in 2018 and ended Celtic's nine-year dominance last season by winning the Scottish Premiership.

With the Gers top of the table and well placed to retain their title, Gerrard may feel he has taken the Scottish club as far as he can. The Liverpool job has always looked like his destiny but the Villa role may prove an excellent stepping stone.

Graham Potter

This coach has not been short of plaudits for the job he is doing at Brighton Hove & Albion.

That is despite Brighton having only won nine games in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, the same number as both their top-flight seasons under Chris Hughton.

Tipped as a future England manager, Potter would be interested in the Villa position, especially as he hails from Solihull.

Villa have an exciting youth academy alongside plenty of attacking options - it could be a match made in heaven.

Frank Lampard

The former Chelsea and Derby boss has been heavily linked to the recently vacated Norwich job, but if Villa came knocking we're sure Lampard would choose them instead.

After John Terry's success at Villa Park, Lampard may be tempted to follow his former team-mate to the Midlands. He even might take the job with Terry as assistant.