When John McGinn turned 27 in October he arrived at the Aston Villa training ground with an array of cakes that were described as ‘the best ever seen’ at the club.
The Scotland midfielder brought a sponge cake, a red velvet cake and a number of different cupcakes. Striker Ollie Watkins turns 26 at the end of the month and it would be a surprise if the occasion is marked in the same fashion.
Since Steven Gerrard succeeded Dean Smith as head coach on November 11, desserts and table sauces have disappeared from the canteen at Bodymoor Heath. Whether players have ketchup with meals or the odd cake is less important than the message Gerrard was trying to send – this is a place of work at all times.
Steven Gerrard has instilled a proper work ethic among his players in his first month in charge
The days of John McGinn bringing in an array of cakes for his birthday are over under Gerrard
These are early days but the methods are working. As one of Liverpool’s greatest captains prepares to return to Anfield as an opposing manager on Saturday, Villa have delivered nine points from the first four games of his tenure, with Manchester City inflicting the only defeat on December 1.
Villa have rediscovered the solidity Smith instilled after the first lockdown and maintained throughout last season, conceding four goals in as many games after letting in 13 in Smith’s final five.
The influence of Jurgen Klopp is clear in Gerrard’s work: his 4-3-3 system, featuring flying full-backs, wide forwards moving in off the flanks and emphasis on controlling the centre of the pitch, could be Liverpool in disguise.
Training has been shorter and sharper under Gerrard, with players speaking favourably about the intensity and rhythm of the sessions.
Assistant head coach Michael Beale, who followed Gerrard from Liverpool to Rangers and now Villa, leads the majority of the work, with Gerrard observing from the sidelines and stepping in periodically.
In his first month in the job, Gerrard is thought to have been particularly impressed by Marvelous Nakamba, Ezri Konsa, Watkins and McGinn. Tyrone Mings has retained the captaincy for the short-term and was praised for his leadership qualities after Gerrard’s first game in charge.
Beale, 41, is a fascinating character. After his playing career was cut short by injury, Beale started his coaching stint by teaching youngsters futsal – a reduced-size version of football featuring a smaller ball – in a church hall in Bromley, south London.
This led to a role working with young players at Chelsea in 2002, where Beale helped develop Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dominic Solanke. At Liverpool, he played a significant role in the progress of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones, and also spent time as assistant coach at Brazilian giants Sao Paulo. His long-term ambition is move into management.
Gerrard and assistant Michael Beale (right) believe strongly in ‘coaching lieutenants’
Beale and Gerrard believe strongly in ‘unit coaches’ or ‘coaching lieutenants’ – which means delegating a single member of staff to certain roles. That means one coach is responsible for working closely with defenders, another with midfielders and another with forwards, with the manager overseeing everything.
‘If you can understand and manage the person, you can develop them as a player, and that improves the team,’ Beale told the Training Ground Guru podcast. ‘Unit coaches can oversee the development of different players.
‘It’s about having each coach looking at five or six different players. They can have individual conversations with them before and after sessions, and during sessions. Then everyone is working more smartly.’
Aaron Danks, who was part of Smith’s coaching team, has been working closely with the forwards, with Gary McAllister keeping a close eye on the midfielders and technical coach Tom Culshaw the defenders.
Hugely respected in the game, McAllister played with Gerrard at Liverpool and is an experienced sounding board for the manager. Two others inherited from the Smith regime, goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler and set-piece specialist Austin MacPhee, have retained their roles at this stage.
Beale played a significant role in the progress of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones
The start of training sessions comprises ‘hard drive’ work for 10 or 15 minutes to hone technique and other individual attributes, before attention turns to scenarios that may develop in the next game, depending on the opponent.
The ‘unit coaches’ will stay in contact with their players regularly, offering advice or encouragement during breaks, before taking them for more specialised work towards the end of the session.
Beale’s mantra is ‘you versus yourself’: players are encouraged to leave no stone unturned in their quest to improve, and that involves watching football regularly.
At Rangers, the forwards would start the week watching the goals from the weekend matches and taking tips from players like Jermain Defoe, who has more than 300 career goals, while the coaches organised a private social media account for players to check. This would feature clips from theirs and other games, as well as other articles and details of training sessions.
The app has been introduced at Villa as Gerrard seeks to focus minds. He said: ‘When they’re not here, we want them to watch as much football as they can. You have to look for any kind of advantage or education you can get.
Gerrard encourages his players to watch as much football as they can to gain an edge
‘I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many of our players want to watch the clips of their games back. They want to ask questions and evolve, which is what we want. When they’re not here, we want them to watch as much football as they can.
‘You want to become more aware and intelligent. In my late-20s and early-30s, I had the analysts climbing the walls – I wouldn’t let them go home! We have fantastic analysts and top structures here, and we will remove any excuses for the players.’
Gerrard’s medium-term aim is to have the Under 23 side playing in the same way as the first team. Under-23 coaches are expected to spend time working with the first team and vice-versa, to make the transition easier when a player does step up. Villa have high hopes for academy products like Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Carney Chukwuemeka, though the latter is at deadlock over a new contract.
Gerrard will try to play down the Liverpool connections this week. Yet if he can guide his team to victory over the club that made him, it would feel like the icing on the cake of an excellent first month in charge – not that Gerrard would celebrate with one.