Aston Villa confirm the five backroom staff members who have left Villa Park after Steven Gerrard’s sacking

Aston Villa have announced five backroom staff members will depart the club after Steven Gerrard was sacked on Thursday evening (October 20). Villa’s dismal 3-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage was the final nail in the coffin for Gerrard, who was relieved of his duties just hours after the full time whistle.

The game was also the last act for Gary McAllister, Neil Critchley, Tom Culshaw, Jordan Milsom and Scott Mason, who have all left Villa Park with immediate effect. The club has thanked the group for their hard work and wished them the best of luck for the future.

CEO Christian Purslow said: “The Board has come to this decision following a full evaluation of results and performances over the calendar year. We were clear when we appointed Steven that we set an objective of continuous improvement but that has not been achieved despite everybody’s best efforts and we believe the time is right to make these changes now.”

The process of appointing a new manager is now underway, with an update to come in due course. In the meantime, first-team coach Aaron Danks will take charge of the team for Sunday’s Premier League home fixture against Brentford. He will be supported by Bodymoor Heath technical and coaching staff.

This weekend’s game comes just three days after the Villans’ disappointing result in London. It will be a real test for Danks, who won’t have had long to prepare or lift confidence in the dressing room.

Brentford also head into the fixture having stopped Chelsea’s winning run at the Gtech Community Stadium, with the 0-0 draw being the first time the Blues have dropped league points under Graham Potter.