Steven Gerrard needs to find Aston Villa identity missing since exit of Jack Grealish

Opening games against Brighton and Palace crucial for new manager with daunting fixture list looming on horizon

Steven Gerrard has taken over an Aston Villa team sitting 16th in the Premier League having lost their last five matches. PA

“I like a challenge, I like a risk,” said Steven Gerrard in his first interview as Aston Villa manager. Joining a club 16th in the league and who have lost their last five games equates to both. He left Rangers four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership while Villa could be in the relegation zone after his first match in charge.

The fixture list can look daunting, with Manchester City, Leicester and Liverpool all among his first five opponents. It underlines the importance of making an immediate impact against Brighton on Saturday and then Crystal Palace next week.

With much of his squad away on international duty, Gerrard admitted: “We’ve got very little time to prepare in terms of having the full group.” A manager who wants his team to be “entertaining and attractive” is nonetheless likely to build from the back.

Villa have conceded 13 goals in their last five games. “I'd like to improve on 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,” Gerrard said.

The sacked Dean Smith ditched his experiment with a back three after the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal. He dropped his captain Tyrone Mings for the 4-1 loss to West Ham. With Ezri Konsa, who was suspended then, back from a ban, Gerrard could pick last season’s regular partnership as a duo for the first time since August’s win over Newcastle.

Gerrard cited Ashley Young as a player he knows well from his England days and it will be instructive if he brings the veteran in for Matt Targett, who has had a dreadful season at left-back. While overlapping full-backs formed an integral part of Gerrard’s game plan at Rangers, that was often against inferior teams and it may be hard to give them a similar licence to go forward when he also wants to make his new charges more frugal.

Gerrard described his Rangers team as “a pretty good idea” of his philosophy. That could give him an awkward decision in attack. Rangers tended to play 4-3-3. Villa’s decision to reinvest some of the proceeds of Jack Grealish’s sale on Danny Ings has gave them a strike partnership: however, the newcomer and Ollie Watkins have showed few signs of an understanding so far.

Watkins has only scored once this season with Ings on the pitch; arguably his best performance came against West Ham, when the former Southampton forward was absent. Ings, who Gerrard knows from Liverpool, could be available again on Saturday, setting up a choice between the pair.

Aston Villa 1 West Ham 4: player ratings

ASTON VILLA RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez - 6: Maybe should have done better with Rice’s strike for second goal but did come through pack of bodies before hitting back of net. Excellent save from England midfielder’s free-kick in second half and unfortunate to see stop from Bowen fall to Fornal’s feet for third goal. PA

Matthew Cash – 6: Brilliant double block on two goal-bound Bowen efforts after 15 minutes, with another similar challenge to deny Fornals in second half. Ambitious long-range drive well over bar just after half-hour mark. Getty

Ezri Konsa - 5: Defence reverted to back four and, like rest of his teammates at back, seemed to struggle with new shape in first half. Sent off for bringing down Bowen on edge of box just after break following VAR referral that saw yellow card turned into red for professional foul. PA

Kortney Hause - 6: Back in team after captain Tyrone Mings was dropped and looked nervy early on, loose in possession and up against a proper handful in Antonio. Lucky to avoid at least a booking for ugly looking forearm smash in face of Fornals. Reuters

Matt Targett - 5: Poor defending from left-back when he allowed Johnson to cut inside and smack home West Ham’s early opener. Reuters

John McGinn - 7: Lovely ball into feet of Buendia in run-up to Watkins’ goal. Guided header wide when he should have at least hit target. His perfect cross into middle was headed against bar by Watkins in second half. Reuters

Marvelous Nakamba - 6: Some meaty challenges in middle of park from the recalled Zimbabwean who was on the receiving end of a poor tackle himself from Fornals in second half. Stuck to his task up against an in-form Hammers midfield. PA

Emiliano Buendia - 5: Had offered Villa little or no width on right of midfield until suddenly springing in action to supply cross for Watkin’s leveller after brushing off Fornals’ weak challenge. Sacrificed after Konsa’s red card – and wasn’t happy about it. Getty

Jacob Ramsey – N/A: Left in agony after turning over ankle and had to be substituted just 14 minutes in. Reuters

Leon Bailey - 6: Former Bayer Leverkusen winger making first start for Villa and had team’s first chance but shot straight at Fabianski. Struggled to make much of an impact after that and was no surprise when taken off in second half. Getty

Ollie Watkins - 7: With Danny Ings absent, it was left to Watkins to provide Villa’s cutting edge up front which he did provide. Drilled home Villa’s equaliser after being teed-up by Buendia and headed against crossbar in second half following excellent McGinn ball. PA

SUBS: Ashley Young – (On for Ramsey 14’) 6: Early introduction after Ramsey’s injury and took a little while to settle into flow of game. Didn’t hide his frustrations at some of referee Chris Kavanagh’s calls. Reuters

Tyrone Mings – (On for Buendia 52’) 5: Captain was brutally dropped by manager Dean Smith after last week’s defeat against Arsenal. Called into action following Konsa’s sending off but couldn’t prevent late collapse as extra man West Ham took advantage of extra man. AFP

Anwar El Ghazi – (On for Bailey 72’) 5: Last throw of dice by manager Dean Smith only for West Ham to kill-off game in last 10 minutes. Reuters

WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 7: Will have been frustrated after getting leg to Watkins’ opener for Villa but failed to keep it out – but produced crucial fingertip save to turn header from same player onto bar in second half with score at 2-1. Getty

Ben Johnson - 7: Scored his second Premier League goal and what a cracker it was. The right back cut inside Targett before firing a sizzling left-footed drive into bottom corner to put his team head after seven minutes. Getty

Kurt Zouma - 7: Man mountain at the back who was at the heart of another fine defensive performance from Hammers. Continues to look an excellent signing from London neighbours Chelsea. Reuters

Angelo Ogbonna - 7: Strong in the air and on the ground, Italian defender and Zouma are a formidable duo at back for Hammers at the moment. Reuters

Aaron Cresswell - 7: Mr Reliable down the left flank both defensively and going forward. Says something about Cresswell’s form that it’s a surprise his name doesn’t figure among the assists for any of West Ham’s four goals. AFP

Tomas Soucek - 8: Has established an excellent midfield partnership with Rice. Strong in the tackle, reliable in possession and his usual threat in air that saw him have an early header saved by Martinez. AFP

Declan Rice - 9: One of the best players in league at moment. Pinged ball out wide for Johnson before teammate opened scoring then grabbed second himself with low strike into corner of net. Also had free-kick saved well by Martinez after break. Top quality. AFP

Jarrod Bowen - 8: Had head in hands after two first-half efforts in quick succession were blocked by Cash. Would have been through on goal but for Konsa foul that saw Villa defender sent off. Denied goal by good Martinez save that fell nicely for Fornals to score third but finally tapped home to make it 4-1 following fine work by Lanzini. PA

Said Benrahma - 6: Quiet game from Algerian, who scored the decisive penalty in the midweek League Cup shoot-out victory over Manchester City, although did supply pass to Rice before midfielder fired home West Ham’s second goal. Hooked just after hour. AFP

Pablo Fornals - 7: Weak challenge allowed Buendia to set-up Watkins’ goal. Took heavy forearm to face off Hause after break that should have seen Villa man at least booked, then earned yellow card himself for poor challenge on Nakamba. Tapped home West Ham’s third goal from close range. PA

Michail Antonio - 7: Enjoyed a real rough and tumble battle with Konsa in first half. Saw one shot take massive deflection before dropping just over bar.Usual excellent hold-up play and his headed flick-on was crucial in build-up to Fornals’ goal. Reuters

SUBS: Manuel Lanzini – (On for Benrahma 65’) 7: Shoved McGinn to ground during fracas soon after coming on. Unselfish play to set-up Bowen for fourth goal. PA

Vladimir Coufal – (On for Fornals 90+1’) N/A. Reuters Nikola Vlasic – (On for Bowen 90 +1’) N/A.

If the other two designated replacements for Grealish, Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia, have delivered too little so far, the roles as inverted wingers could suit each. The broader question is whether Gerrard can inject cohesion and chemistry into a team searching not just for a system but for an identity after Grealish.

Smith’s style of play was progressive but he found a difficulty this season — and arguably in the second half of last — in marrying that with solidity. There are three obvious areas for improvement. While Smith added set-piece coach Austin McPhee to his staff, and Gerrard has kept him, Villa have conceded six goals already from dead-ball situations.

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez had the Premier League’s best save percentage last season and has one of the worst this year. And Villa’s best plans have soon been undone. They have conceded in the third and seventh minutes of their last two games; a better start is imperative if Gerrard is to begin with a statement of intent.