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Jamie Carragher defends under pressure Steven Gerrard as a 'work in progress' in management as he implores Aston Villa to stick by the coach who 'elevated' the club to a 'global stage' when he was appointed last year

Jamie Carragher has defended 'best friend' Steven Gerrard amid mounting pressure surrounding the future of the Aston Villa boss with his side sitting 19th in the Premier League table.

Gerrard, who left Rangers to join Villa last year, finds himself under increasing scrutiny after a poor start to the season in which he has seen his side slip to four defeats in five games.

Writing in The Telegraph on Friday, Carragher, who labelled Gerrard his 'hero' and 'best friend' on social media, leapt to the defence of his former team-mate saying that Villa would be wise to stick by a manager on whom they took a 'calculated gamble' in selecting to replace Dean Smith.