Aston Villa manager Unai Emery’s recent selection choices have sparked discussions, with pundit Simon Jordan questioning whether Emery is favoring Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford over Ollie Watkins to secure a permanent move for Rashford in the summer. Watkins, who has been pivotal for Villa, expressed his frustration over limited playing time in key matches against PSG and Manchester City.
Ollie Watkins said, “I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games. I am not going to lie, I was fuming that I wasn’t playing – I let him [Unai Emery] know that. He’s the manager, you have to respect his decision, [but] I am not one of these players happy to sit on the bench. It is something I have not experienced before, to miss out on the biggest stage. I wanted to be out on the pitch for much longer. I have played a big part to get to where we are today and I want to play in those games.”
Jordan, the former Crystal Palace chairman, speculated that Emery might be strategically prioritizing Rashford in significant games to persuade Villa’s owners, NSWE, to secure his services permanently. He also questioned Watkins’ capability to lead Villa to their ambitions.
Simon Jordan said, “I don’t think he’s as good as Alexander Isak. I think that’s top tier. I think Watkins is a good player – he was a very good player at Brentford, I think he’s been a decent player for Aston Villa. I’ve always liked him because he adopts the right attitude for the game. Does anyone else in the world, besides in sport, use the expression ‘fuming’? I don’t think I’ve ever ‘fumed’ about anything in my life outside of observing sport. You never hear that the head of Lloyds bank was fuming. Whether that needed to be said, about him not being happy to be on the bench, that would niggle any top class player. It does illustrate the power players now have, because this would not have been said a few years ago. Maybe the playing of Rashford is more strategic than you think. Maybe Emery wants to convince his board that this player is worth buying.”
Villa’s recent defeat at Manchester City has made their path to securing a Champions League spot increasingly challenging. They must win their remaining league games and rely on slip-ups from rivals like City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest. Despite the hurdles, Jordan believes Villa can still achieve significant success this season.
Simon Jordan continued, “They’ll be realistic to know that qualifying for the Champions League is difficult and if they won the FA Cup I think they’d be thrilled. The Europa League itself still offers some significant games and opportunities. They’ll still have that opportunity. The thing for Villa which might be disappointing and which might be debilitating is if they get none of the above. It’s no good having this wonderful little tour around Europe and then getting knocked out by PSG, everyone patting you on the back. It means nothing in the great scheme of things. If you lose the FA Cup opportunity and you don’t finish in the Champions League or European spots, then what have you got? I would think they will. They’re building.”
As Villa prepares for their upcoming match against Crystal Palace at Wembley, Emery’s selection decisions will be under scrutiny, with fans eager to see if Watkins or Rashford will lead the line.
