Aston Villa: Phil Jagielka gushes over ‘fantastic’ Morgan Rogers, still room for improvement
Morgan Rogers still has plenty of improvements to make despite his “fantastic” display as Aston Villa beat Bournemouth 3-1 on Sunday (21 April).
The 21-year-old scored a brilliant equaliser moments before the half-time break, with Dominic Solanke giving the Cherries the lead from the penalty spot.
Rogers starred throughout the match, and although he was not awarded the assist, he played a vital role in Leon Bailey’s goal as Ollie Watkins rolled the ball into the Jamaican’s path to secure the win.
Due to injuries and suspensions, Unai Emery has had no choice but to throw the youngster into the starting XI, and the likes of Watkins, Bailey and John McGinn have overshadowed his contributions.
Speaking on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday (21 April), Phil Jagielka lauded the player as he netted his second Villa goal: “He grows into the game, working in tangent with Watkins, who takes the defender away.
“It’s a fantastic finish into the roof of the net,” later adding about his role in Bailey’s goal, “This is the best move of the game for me.
“It comes to Rogers on the turn, and he decides to take a bit more of a risk with the pass. It’s a fantastic assist of an assist, and it’s a great goal.”
Morgan Rogers still has room to improve at Aston Villa
Jagielka is exactly right. Rogers grew into the match, and while showing hints of potential, he can certainly work on other aspects of his game.
Though his goal was a crucial one, the former Middlesbrough player had just a 50 per cent shot accuracy, as well as only completing 66 per cent of his passes. [FotMob]
Those will be the kind of stats that Emery will be hoping his young prospect can smarten up on the pitch, as on another day, that looseness could be punished by a better team.
Rogers will also need to build up his strength, having won zero per cent of his tackles and only 56 per cent of his ground duels (5/9).
The 21-year-old is a work in progress, though, and likely a figure for the future at Villa Park. To say he only cost the club £8million, the Villans have a very exciting talent on their hands. [BBC Sport]
Especially with guidance from Emery, as Villa continue to target Premier League success and Champions League qualification, Rogers can learn a lot from the Spaniard.
In other Aston Villa news, Ollie Watkins would be tempted to quit Villa Park amid a previous admission.
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