Gerrard is saying all the right things to make his case for managing an elite club

The very top managers in world football have a variety of different qualities, but one of the most important is the ability to say the right things at the right time. With so many absentee owners at the top level of the game, it’s the coaches who become the spokespeople for their institutions as they talk to the media multiple times a week.

At Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard is doing a good job on the pitch, with three wins from five matches and his only two defeats coming against the Premier League’s top two of Manchester City and Liverpool. But, the 41-year-old is saying all the right things too.

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On Saturday, as he returned to Anfield to take on his former club, Gerrard made sure to keep the spotlight on his improving Aston Villa side. In the days leading up to the match – a 1-0 loss courtesy of a Mohamed Salah penalty – Gerrard insisted that the game wasn’t and shouldn’t be about him.

When he walked out at Anfield, he made a point of waving to and applauding the travelling supporters first, before politely acknowledging the Liverpool crowd.

Afterwards, he elaborated further on his attitude going into the game. "I understood that there was going to be some noise around the game,” he started. “People appreciate the bond I still have with the Liverpool fans, but that's normal because I had so many years here. For me, the priority is the support from the Aston Villa fans. If I'm on the bus heading back down the M6 towards Birmingham and I'm not the most popular at Anfield, so be it."

This is exactly what the Aston Villa fans wanted to hear from their manager. It’s what a diplomatic coach should be saying and it shows that Gerrard has what it takes to navigate the daily controversies of elite-level football.

Having managed one of the top two teams in Scotland, Gerrard already has experience of being grilled multiple times a week by an intense media and of being scrutinised by fans across a whole country. His ability to deliver the right rhetoric improved considerably during his three years in Scotland, from claiming “the world is against us” after his Scottish Premiership debut to handling delicate situations well in his final year, such as the Glen Kamara racist abuse incident.

Gerrard shows his funny side too

As well as diplomatically saying the right things, Gerrard showed his funny side too on Saturday when interviewed by Michael Owen for BT Sport. With the pundit saying he used to hate returning to Anfield, Gerrard responded by saying “If I'd have played for Manchester United, I would hate coming back too”.

It will take a lot more than press room poise and the odd joke for Gerrard to keep moving up the coaching ladder. Results and performances must come too. But, it takes a certain kind of statesmanship to manage the biggest clubs in the world. Gerrard is proving he has that.