Ollie Watkins Left ‘Fuming’ at Unai Emery Over Marcus Rashford Villa Decision
Calum Ritchie
17 – 21 minutes
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Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins has revealed he was left ‘fuming’ with Unai Emery’s recent Marcus Rashford decision. Speaking after Aston Villa’s 4-1 victory against high-flying Newcastle United in the Premier League, the English forward gave an honest assessment of his last few weeks.
The 29-year-old found the net inside the first minute of the game after returning to the starting line-up following the midweek win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Ian Maatsen, a Dan Burn own goal, and Amadou Onana sealed a comfortable victory for Emery’s men as they seek a return to Europe’s top table next term.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and president of football operations Monchi in front of Villa Park
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However, while he was seen with a big smile on his face after finding the back of the net, Watkins revealed in his post-match interview that he’s been less-than-satisfied in recent weeks. The main source of his frustration has been the man in charge, Emery.
Watkins Reveals He Was ‘Fuming’ at Key Emery Decision vs PSG
‘I let him (Emery) know that’
Watkins may have been key in the Villa Park success against the Magpies, but the England international played much less of a part than he had hoped against PSG in Europe’s elite competition. He didn’t start either leg and played less than 30 minutes in total against Parisiens, as his side were eliminated.
Instead, loanee Rashford was given the nod in both matches against the Ligue 1 outfit. During his interview with Sky Sports, Watkins didn’t shy away from the fact he wasn’t happy with the decision to leave him on the sidelines for the huge occasion, saying:
“I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games, so I’m not going to lie – I was fuming I wasn’t playing.
“I let him (Emery) know that. He’s the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I’m not one of the players happy to sit on the bench.”
He added that he wasn’t the only one left unhappy over the two legs: “It’s something I haven’t experienced before and then to miss out on the biggest stage, you always want to play, especially in the Champions League. Me and a few others are disappointed we didn’t start the game, but like I said, it’s the manager’s decision.”
Unai Emery
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Watkins’ frustrations stem from the fact he played a starring role in the campaign that saw the Villans reach the Champions League, netting 10 league goals last time out. He explained: “We did end up beating them but obviously not across both legs. The team played really well, but I wanted to be out on the pitch much longer. I wanted to be starting in the important games because I’ve played a big part to get to where we are today.”
