Sports

Aston Villa to target Mauricio Pochettino if Steven Gerrard gets sacked after crucial double-header – Paper Round

Mamardi

Villa’s ambitious Poch bid

Aston Villa will attempt to lure Mauricio Pochettino to Villa Park if the club decide to part ways with Steven Gerrard in the coming weeks, the Telegraph reports. Villa are 16th in the Premier League table, one point above the relegation zone, after picking up just two wins in their opening 10 league games. They face Fulham away on Thursday and Brentford at home on Sunday, two matches which could decide Gerrard’s fate, and if the former Rangers boss is dismissed then Villa will have an ambitious top target in Pochettino, the ex-Tottenham manager who left Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season.

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Paper Round’s view: From coaching Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to overseeing the side at their most dangerous when Douglas Luiz is taking a corner. It would be some move for Villa to land Pochettino, but firstly it depends on whether Gerrard can turn around their fortunes. If he can’t, then it would be time for Pochettino to weigh up his options. Overlooked by Manchester United, unlikely to ever take charge of Arsenal or even Chelsea, is there a Big Six role available in the next few years for Poch that isn’t a Spurs return? If he actually wants to return to England, maybe Villa are among his best bets after all, although he may well hope Eddie Howe has a downturn in form at Newcastle instead.

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Brentford plan Frank talks

Staying with Premier League managers, and also the Telegraph, the paper reports Brentford have opened contract extension talks with Thomas Frank. The Dane only renewed terms nine months ago, but Brentford are keen for a new deal in a bid to improve their prospects of keeping Frank if another Premier League club comes calling. Leicester have been linked with Frank amid uncertainty over Brendan Rodgers’ future.

Paper Round’s view: It’s a wise move from Brentford, if only to increase the compensation package, while Frank will no doubt gladly sign if it means an improved salary. That being said, his loyalty may still be tested depending on whether other clubs make an approach for him, and two renewals within the space of 12 months would be difficult to go back on.

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He’s the Bosz?

Sticking with the topic of Premier League managers, again, and with the Telegraph, again, it has been reported that Wolves have interviewed Peter Bosz. The former Borussia Dortmund and Ajax manager is now deemed a strong contender to replace Bruno Lage, and his recent sacking by Lyon earlier this month has not damaged his reputation according to the paper. Nuno Espirito Santo was last week linked with a shock return to the club, but Bosz is said to have impressed in interviews.

Paper Round’s view: From Vitesse to Maccabi Tel Aviv to Ajax to Borussia Dortmund to Bayer Leverkusen to Lyon to Wolves all in the space of a decade? That would be some journey for Bosz, who has done well to maintain a reputation across Europe despite three sackings in his three most recent jobs. He may have impressed in talks, but spells in Germany and France weren’t entirely fruitful, so it is not a name that screams immediate success.

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Carrick U-turn

Staying with managers, but this time the Championship, with the Daily Mail among the outlets reporting that Michael Carrick is set to take charge of Middlesbrough. The move would signal a first full-time step into management for Carrick, who had been in temporary charge of Manchester United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked, and comes after a U-turn after he initially turned down the Boro role last week. That was over backroom staff and control over transfers, so it would appear a compromise has been met.

Paper Round’s view: The latest Premier League winner to enter the management fold at Championship level, so it will be fascinating to see how Carrick fares after his short stint at United. The Championship really is a league like no other, but as Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is currently showing, if you can master it then it can really enhance a young manager’s reputation. A short stint at that level did Frank Lampard no harm, either.

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