Ollie Watkins may have been adversely affected by Unai Emery’s decision to select Marcus Rashford in important fixtures last season, according to an ex-England striker.
Aston Villa brought Rashford in on loan from Manchester United in the middle of last season along with Marco Asensio of Paris Saint-Germain and Axel Disasi from Chelsea.
Watkins went on to claim top spot as Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer but he also found himself out of Emery’s line-up, briefly but notably, and made little effort to hide his displeasure when he was asked about it.
Villa reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and were drawn against PSG. Rashford started over Watkins and played the first 80 minutes of the quarter-final first leg at the Parc des Princes. He was picked again for the second leg at Villa Park.
PSG won the first leg 3-1 but Villa ran them close by winning 3-2 at Villa Park. Rashford’s second-half performance was one of the biggest influences on the performance.
But the long-term impact of leaving Watkins ‘fuming’ has been questioned by former Villa and England striker Emile Heskey.
“The last 12 months may have been difficult for Ollie Watkins,” Heskey told 10bet Casino.
“You’re only human as a player, and you want your manager to back you. So seeing Rashford become the main man might have upset him.
“If you look at what Ollie has done, he has been the best English striker in the league for a while now, ever since Harry Kane left. You should be backing that and giving him the confidence to kick on further.
“But players bear responsibility for their own performances too, and maybe Watkins needs to do more.”
Heskey moved to Villa from Wigan Athletic and played for the club between 2009 and 2012, when he signed for A-League club Newcastle Jets.
He highlighted a major concern: whether it’s Watkins or not, Villa need forwards who are scoring goals. The lack of oomph in the final third against Liverpool on Saturday backed up his view even with Watkins on the pitch.
“I think they need goalscorers,” Heskey continued.
“Villa under Emery have done really well but you always need goals. They need Ollie Watkins and other forwards to step up and contribute. They can create chances, and they really need people to finish them off.”
Watkins has scored one goal in his last 15 games in all competitions for Villa. His lob against Fulham set Villa on their way to a first Premier League win but Watkins is evidently a striker badly out of form and there’s no getting around that fact.
The England striker has scored 76 goals for Villa in the Premier League, more than any other player. He was linked with moves away from B6 in January and the summer transfer window but has had precious little opportunity in front of goal this season.
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