We're quick to write Gerrard off. I hope we give whoever Klopp's successor is a bit more time to prove themselves!
For me the challenge Gerrard has with Villa is two-fold; firstly to get them playing a possession based game where they try to dominate teams and secondly to get them in and around the "big six".
Dean Smith had them playing counter-attacking football like most of the non big six clubs. They would get some occasional big scalps but also drop loads of points in turgid encounters where both sides wanted to counter-attack and neither wanted to blink first and actually attack. Leicester's freak season aside there's very much a ceiling to how high you can finish playing that way.
Villa had double Bournemouth's possession, shots and passes completed so it looks like Gerrard is having some impact on how they play. Just as Smith's counter-attacking Villa got some big scalps, Gerrard's possession based Villa are going to be susceptible to being scalped by a counter-attacking side. Ancelotti, with all his experience and trophy laden career, tried and failed to get Everton to transition to possession based football.
For me what Gerrard's trying gives him the best chance of getting a bigger job. If he just becomes another English manager playing percentages then no bigger club is going to touch him. Similarly, flat-tracking the SPL with Rangers isn't going to have the big clubs lining up.
