Steven Gerrard never experienced a six-match losing streak during 17 years as a player in England yet this is exactly what he must prevent in his first match as Aston Villa manager.
The former Liverpool and England captain takes charge of a squad with their confidence on the floor after five defeats in a row, the last of which — a 1-0 loss at Southampton on November 5 — led Villa to sack Dean Smith and send for Gerrard, who signed a three-and-a-half-year deal.
He will inherit a talented but flawed squad. The 41-year-old will have money to spend in January but before that he must navigate a meeting with Brighton a week tomorrow before tackling fixtures against Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Leicester and Liverpool.