Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard wants Emi Buendia to chip in with more goal contributions in the final six games of the Premier League season. Gerrard has often praised Buendia for his work ethic and ‘warrior-like’ approach to training and match days, but he wants Villa’s record transfer arrival to prove his price tag in the closing weeks of the campaign. Buendia has registered six goal contributions in 29 appearances this season and he has been challenged to improve his numbers by the Villa boss.
Steven Gerrard said: “We’ve got a real strong relationship with Emi, we’re happy that he is here. He’s fighting on a daily basis for more game time, obviously them opportunities have come from the bench of late, but he has started a lot of games initially when I first came in. So the challenge is very much there for him when he gets the opportunity, whether that’s from the start or from the side, we’re looking for that creative contribution from him, goals or assists. That’s the best way for him to start winning a starting shirt consistently and deliver and execute and get numbers in the game. He works extremely hard every day, he’s tenacious and warrior-like in how he goes about it. A lot of our forward players have got to continue trying to keep the crowd in the right place, they have to deliver and execute in the final third, that’s what they get paid to do. But that’s not just at Emi, it’s all of our goal scorers, our wingers, our tens, our attacking players. We’ve got a lot of talent in the building but the reality is we’re not scoring enough goals of late, that’s what we’re expecting. We’re expecting them to push and score or create in big moments to put us in a better place in the league.”
Asked whether Buendia can play in the same team as fellow playmaker Coutinho,
Steven Gerrard replied: “At certain times, against certain opponents, I have seen it work before. But not in every game, I think they are quite similar, but what you have got is two creative players who are capable of opening the door. Where Emi is at, obviously he is a lot younger, he needs to continue to work on certain parts of his game, Phil as well. But there is a big onus on them in terms of creativity and goals because they play in important positions in this team.”
