Steven Gerrard insists that he feels ‘nothing but support’ from Aston Villa owners

Steven Gerrard has held talks with Aston Villa’s property ahead of the Fulham clash that could be decisive for his position.

The former England captain is under pressure after Villa got off to a disappointing start to the season despite net spending of £52million in the transfer market – although two of his key signings, Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara, are sidelined with long-term injuries.

Despite the improved display in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat last Sunday, Villa’s next two games – Sunday against Brentford – look crucial for Gerrard.

He has had talks with the property, as well as sporting director Johan Lange and chief executive Christian Purslow, but not about his position over the past week.

“I’ve only felt support from Johan, Christian and the owners,” Gerrard said.

“I’ve spoken to them all in the last seven or eight days and the noise and pressure are not mentioned.

“It’s very much about our performance, where we are and how close we’ve been to a better place in the league.

“Everyone is on the same page, we’ve been on the same page since day one, so I’m not going to argue for this or that.

“The owners know where we stand and they know me and how determined I am to improve our current position. So that’s where we are.’

Fulham and Brentford, who face Villa on Sunday, are exactly the sort of teams the owners will expect to leave given their investment.

Since the promotion, billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens have pledged more than £500 million in transfers.

Given that support and the demand for “continuous improvement” that led to Dean Smith being fired last November, Gerrard is skating on thin ice.

The majority of supporters have turned against him and perhaps just two convincing wins can keep the ship afloat.

“It’s tough at the top,” Gerrard admitted. “This is the highest league in the world, so if you don’t get the results you want or the fans want to see, you’re going to have to deal with these difficult press conferences.

“But I have enough experience and have been through these periods before to know that if you change your results, it will be a very different situation in a few days.

“So that’s why I’m good where I am and why I want to lead this group, because I know we’re better than where we are in this competition.

“If we get a few more bodies and our support that we got in the last window, we’ll be fine, if not better than fine.”