Lost support, Graham Potter and the future

The rumour mill from Bodymoor continues to ring the alarm with players reported to be waiting out what they see to be Gerrard's and his huge entourage's final days.

Indeed Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris are rumoured to have lost faith in their struggling managerial novice and have pulled back from any transfer backing endorsement.

It is said that just CEO Christian Purslow stands between opinion and immediate action.

Meanwhile, it’s suggested that Light Hall School educated, Shirley boy, Villa fan Graham Potter is the choice to take over.

Disregarding the deeply contrasting opening matches of the season, it’s the Brummie tactician’s results over the long haul that justifies why the owners would see Potter as a safer pair of hands to lead Villa forward than the divisive Liverpudlian.

It’s pretty easy to see why:

Since losing to Villa in Steven Gerrard’s first game in charge Graham Potter has Won 10, Drawn 10 and Lost 8, accumulated 40 points, taking points from 20 of his 28 games at a rate of 1.43 ppg

By contrast Gerrard has Won 9, Drawn just 5 and Lost 14.

In doing so the current Villa boss has accumulated eight less points than Potter and only taken points from 14 of his 28 games in charge at a rate of just 1.14 ppg.

With Brighton and Villa at a similar stage of their redevelopment - although no comparison is intended between the historic or current stature of the two clubs - the ability for Brighton to nurture talent and tactics has set Potter apart from any other home nation manager of his generation.

Graham Potter as Villa manager may be one of the more obvious matches but an ownership group that deals in analytics not emotion know exactly where they want to put their money.