Unai Emery has an impossible choice to make between Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE - as Aston Villa prepare to bolster their Champions League credentials versus Club Brugge
- Villa all-but could book their spot in the next stage of the UCL on Wednesday
- But Emery has a growing selection headache between his two goalscoring stars
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Unai Emery has stressed all season that the Premier League is Aston Villa’s priority and beating Club Brugge on Wednesday would allow them to focus on it completely.
Villa suffered a mini-wobble by losing to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup and then suffering a 4-1 hammering at Tottenham in the league four days later. Extra scrutiny and criticism must be welcomed: if Villa want to reach the elite, they must accept the higher standards that will be expected of them externally.
Another slip-up in Belgium would start to raise real concerns for the first time this season, especially with a trip to Liverpool on the horizon.
Yet Villa’s perfect record in the Champions League so far affords them breathing space and three more points against Brugge would virtually guarantee them a spot in the knockout stages.
In the competition’s new format, nobody can be quite sure of the total needed to progress, yet there is a growing consensus that 15 or 16 points would secure a place in the top eight and an automatic spot in the last 16. By that measure, victory over Brugge would leave Villa needing just three or four more from their final four fixtures.
Unai Emery has made European competition a major focus of his time in charge at Aston Villa
The club's statement win against Bayern Munich has set them up for a strong league finish
But recent defeats to Crystal Palace and Tottenham (pictured) suggest a need to settle nerves
Liverpool will have an extra day to recover for the clash at Anfield on November 9 and that will surely persuade Emery to tweak his line-up on Wednesday. It is perhaps still too early for Boubacar Kamara or Tyrone Mings to start a top-level match yet both may be granted more minutes from the bench, while – depending on the fitness of Morgan Rogers after the attacker picked up a knock at Spurs – Jhon Duran could replace Ollie Watkins.
Duran was named in the starting XI for Villa’s last European fixture, at home to Bologna last month, and he responded with a goal before throwing a tantrum when he was taken off soon afterwards. The volatile Colombian has eight goals this term and is starting to make an unanswerable case for selection.
Indeed, the time is approaching when Emery will have to choose between Duran and Watkins for the longer term.
The Basque has talked often about finding a way to play them together but has yet to do so. Rogers has been Villa’s most effective forward player this term and moving him from the centre to the wing would weaken the starting line-up.
Both Watkins and Duran are tied to long-term contracts yet both are good enough to be the main man. Though Watkins, 28, is more experienced and has proven himself at Premier League level over four years, Duran is eight years younger and probably has a higher ceiling.
Choosing between goalscoring talents Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins (left to right) is an elite problem for the Basque manager
Colombian forward Duran is in rip-roaring form and unhappy with starting on the bench
Transfer chief Monchi will have to decide whether to stick or sell the young talent before he gets restless
Watkins turns 30 next year and Villa transfer chief Monchi has admitted publicly that the club must sell players to generate the revenue they need to keep pace with England’s wealthiest clubs. Speaking in September, Monchi said Villa should not be scared to trade players and both Watkins and Duran would have plenty of suitors.
No club wants to sell a reliable goalscorer, especially when they are trying to qualify regularly for the Champions League. Watkins has the course and distance form in the English game and though Duran’s potential is sky high, does he have the temperament to fulfil it? On the other hand, would Villa risk selling next year only to watch Duran develop into one of the world’s best at another club?
Bayern Munich paid £100million for Harry Kane soon after the England captain’s 30th birthday, so the wealthiest clubs will still pay for older players if they guarantee goals. In the Premier League at least, Watkins does that. What is certain is that neither he nor Duran will want another season scrapping for a one spot and Villa have a tricky decision awaiting them at the end of the campaign.
They would like to be able to take it as a Champions League club. A win over Brugge would let them focus all their energies on finishing in the top four for a second straight season.
