<p>Fantasy Premier League author <a href="https://twitter.com/Davvawavva">David Wardale</a> looks at the FPL impact now that Steven Gerrard has taken charge at Aston Villa.</p>
<p>Taking in the key issues from tactics to personnel, discover who could be the fantasy winners and losers at Villa Park.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t forget to check out all our brilliant <strong><a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips/">FPL Gameweek 12 tips right here</a></strong>.</p>
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<h2>The Manager</h2>
<p class="western">Steven Gerrard&#8217;s appointment as Aston Villa manager on a three and a half year deal has, inevitably, sparked as much talk about the future as the present.</p>
<p class="western">Many see the Anfield legend as the man to take over at Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp finally moves on.</p>
<p class="western">But sentiment will only take Gerrard so far on that front.</p>
<p class="western">He will first need to make a major success of his time at Villa Park before idle talk of destiny becomes reality.</p>
<p class="western">So what can we expect from Gerrard at Villa? And will it mean fantasy managers forming an orderly queue for the squad&#8217;s FPL assets?</p>
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<h2 class="western">Does Gerrard Have a Good Managerial History?</h2>
<p class="western">Gerrard took on his first senior managerial role at Rangers and he leaves the club in far better health than when he arrived in 2018.</p>
<p class="western">He took charge of 193 games in Glasgow, winning 125 of them and losing just 26.</p>
<p class="western">Crucially, among the club&#8217;s fan base at least, he stopped Celtic from winning a 10<sup>th</sup> straight league title last season, with Rangers going unbeaten and finishing 25 points clear of their bitter rivals.</p>
<p class="western">The bedrock of that team was a solid defence – they conceded just 13 goals and ended up with a goal difference of +79.</p>
<p class="western">He leaves Ibrox with Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table.</p>
<p class="western">But that defensive strength has proved rather more elusive this term, with as many goals conceded in 13 matches as they allowed across the entire campaign last time out.</p>
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<h2 class="western">What Formation Will Gerrard use at Villa?</h2>
<p class="western">Gerrard&#8217;s preferred system throughout his title-winning season was a 4-3-3, although he did occasionally switch to a 4-2-3-1.</p>
<p class="western">Both of these formations have been used under former Villa manager Dean Smith, so the players aren&#8217;t in need of a complete tactical re-education.</p>
<p class="western">Gerrard likes his side to play a possession-based, attacking style of football, with two inside forwards working off a main striker.</p>
<p class="western">Key to the system is his use of the full-backs. They generally operate in advanced roles, providing the team&#8217;s attacking width and a large slice of their chances created.</p>
<p class="western">As an example, right-back James Tavernier scored 12 goals and had nine assists in the league last season.</p>
<p class="western">Across all competitions, he managed an eye-popping 19 goals and 11 assists in 46 games.</p>
<p class="western">However, we do have to apply the &#8216;it&#8217;s only Scottish football&#8217; caveat to those <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a>, because if you can&#8217;t do it at Rangers or Celtic north of the border&#8230;</p>
<p class="western">But let&#8217;s not get too snobbish either.</p>
<p class="western">There are, after all, plenty of managers who have thrived in the Premier League after successful Scottish stints.</p>
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<h2 class="western">How Have Villa Done This Season?</h2>
<p class="western">Gerrard inherits a Villa squad in dire straits, with the club just two points clear of the relegation zone.</p>
<p class="western">Defensively weak, they&#8217;ve conceded 20 goals this season – only Norwich and Newcastle have allowed more.</p>
<p class="western">They did keep three clean sheets across the first six matches of the campaign.</p>
<p class="western">But it&#8217;s been grim reading since then, with the league&#8217;s worst record for goals conceded (13), no clean sheets and a total of just 137 FPL points from their squad, a figure that only Newcastle (128) can &#8216;beat&#8217;.</p>
<p class="western">During that same period, their attacking <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> aren&#8217;t much better, with a third-worst return of five goals and big chances (six), although their total attempts (61), shots in the box (38) and on target (18) were all closer to mid-table tallies.</p>
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<h2 class="western">Which FPL Assets Could Improve Under Gerrard?</h2>
<p class="western">The obvious first port of call for fantasy managers has to be Villa&#8217;s full-backs.</p>
<p class="western">As those Tavernier <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> show, a Gerrard team gets a lot out of its right-back, so <strong>Matty Cash (£5.1m)</strong> could offer the prospects of increased attacking returns.</p>
<p class="western">He&#8217;ll need to step up, however, as he&#8217;s managed just five key passes this season. That&#8217;s only the seventh-best total among Villa players – and a chunky eight fewer than left-back <strong>Matt Targett (£4.7m)</strong>.</p>
<p class="western">Targett also beats his teammate for assists (1 v 0), but Cash has at least scored once this campaign and his total points in FPL (39) is bettered only by keeper <strong>Emi Martinez (£5.5m)</strong> among Villa players.</p>
<p class="western">Gerrard likes a high press, which can lead to spaces behind the back line to be exploited by speedy attackers and half-decent passers of the ball at centre-half.</p>
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<p class="western">Cash in particular could be an explosive asset, but rampaging full-backs still need to chip in with defensive points from time to time.</p>
<p>So it would seem wise to employ a &#8216;suck it and see&#8217; approach to the defence for now.</p>
<p class="western">Further up the pitch, Gerrard&#8217;s use of inside forwards looks like a great match at Villa Park.</p>
<p class="western">Sacked boss Smith struggled to integrate both <strong>Danny Ings (£7.7m)</strong> and <strong>Ollie Watkins (£7.3m)</strong> in the same side.</p>
<p class="western">The pair started together from Gameweeks 4 to 9 and managed just two goals between them.</p>
<p class="western">In Gerrard&#8217;s system, Ings would likely play the central striker role, with Watkins cutting in from the left to shoot with his stronger right foot.</p>
<p class="western">Either <strong>Leon Bailey (£6.4m)</strong> or <strong>Bertrand Traore (£5.7m)</strong> would probably fill the same role on the other flank.</p>
<p class="western">The problem, of course, is that Ings is currently injured, as is Traore, meaning Watkins is arguably the safest bet for consistent minutes up front at the start of Gerrard&#8217;s tenure.</p>
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<h2 class="western">Which FPL Assets Could Struggle Under Gerrard?</h2>
<p class="western">Based on how Gerrard set his team up at Rangers, the biggest question mark over those in Villa&#8217;s squad probably involves <strong>Emiliano Buendia (£6.2m)</strong>.</p>
<p class="western">The new manager&#8217;s midfield three doesn&#8217;t usually include a classic playmaker/number 10 position, although that role can be more easily accommodated in a 4-2-3-1.</p>
<p class="western">Buendia is also flexible enough to operate in a wider position, so all is not lost.</p>
<p class="western">But the likes of Bailey and Watkins offer more pace than the Argentinian and appear, at face value anyway, to be far more natural fits in a standard Gerrard set-up.</p>
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<h2 class="western">Are Villa&#8217;s Fixtures Good?</h2>
<p class="western">All this talk of personnel and systems is fine and dandy, but Villa&#8217;s fixtures are not exactly set fair in the short term.</p>
<p class="western">Gerrard&#8217;s first match in charge involves a visit from high-flying Brighton, followed by a trip to in-form Crystal Palace.</p>
<p class="western">Things get even tougher after that, with Man City, Leicester and an eye-catching trip to Liverpool to come before a generally kinder run from Gameweek 17.</p>
<p class="western">Not much of that screams early investment in Villa stars.</p>
<p class="western">Gerrard, you suspect, will be given plenty of time to bed in at Villa Park.</p>
<p class="western">And similar patience should be exercised when assessing the side&#8217;s best fantasy prospects under their new boss, with Cash and Watkins the most attractive options for those brave or impulsive enough to be early adopters.</p>
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