Spot the difference.

We’ve been banging on about one of the major issues with Gerrard seemingly since the day he arrived.

Firstly as suspicion, then as confirmation, but weirdly often forgotten.

That is the squad vandalism he has wrought to change the size and profile of the squad completely.

Now - and h/t to the Birmingham Mail as they finally make their move against Gerrard with a truthful editorial - we have these eye opening quotes positioned back to back.

First up is Dean Smith:

“We have now got the youngest average age group on the longest-term contracts in the Premier League. That is what we want to build on… We know these players will get better, getting them on longer-term contracts is really important.

“It is all right bringing in young players and building their value but I’m hopeful players will come to Aston Villa, like Ezri Konsa, and spend six, seven or eight years here. If they are doing that it means the club is progressing. That is an important part of the plan moving forward.”

And now Christian Purslow on behalf of his appointment Gerrard:

“I think it is absolutely crucial that when a new manager comes in that we give them time to have a look.

“When I talk about Steven giving his initial feedback, he said, ‘I’d like to take the age profile up a little bit, we were the youngest average starting team in the league last season, I’d like to have proven winners’.”

Happily, the Gerrard experiment is shortly to end, but his approach to squad management, among many things, will prove hugely damaging for the short term prospects of the new manager whoever he will be.

How it was allowed to come to this deserves an inquest, and the consequences are something NSWE should not allow Purslow to escape from.