Unai Emery ‘shell-shocked’ at Aston Villa after ‘star man’ lost – Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp has been left pondering how losing his “star man” at Aston Villa has affected Unai Emery.
The boss has not had the easiest job at Villa Park this season, trying to manage his side juggling Champions League football with Premier League success.
Although the Villans saw their form dip somewhat, Emery’s side now sit eighth in the Premier League table and Champions League action remains ahead of them.
Jhon Duran exit causes Aston Villa headache
Although Emery hasn’t had the easiest of circumstances throughout the entire season, the unflappable nature of the boss has certainly given an aura of calm around the club.
While Villa saw off Tottenham in FA Cup action last weekend, the West Midlands side need to pick up some points in Premier League action, having not won in three games.
Aston Villa prepare to face Ipswich Town on Saturday (15 February) and supporters will no doubt feel this is a welcome fixture to try and pick up three points.
With that being said, given Watkins has been sidelined through injury, whether or not he will be available on Saturday is yet to be seen and it might not be a walkover for the home side.
Nevertheless, Redknapp has backed Villa despite their issues as he told BetVictor (14 February): “Aston Villa 3-0 Ipswich. Nobody expected Wolves to beat Aston Villa but that’s what can happen in a West Midlands derby! Unai Emery looked shell-shocked.
“He’s lost his star man Jhon Durán and there’s still a doubt whether Ollie Watkins is fit to play or not. Having said that, Marcus Rashford looked very lively against Spurs.
“It really seemed like the last straw for Ipswich who expected to get a win against Southampton. A win could have got them out of the relegation zone. Even the home crowd couldn’t help them in what was an uninspiring encounter all round to be honest.
“I can see Villa having an easy win here. They were impressive against Tottenham, taking the lead within the first minute, and they had chances galore. Spurs didn’t know what to do with the one to watch – Marcus Rashford looked full of beans, I haven’t seen him run that fast in months. Maybe the move was just what this boy needed!”
Aston Villa to see off Ipswich Town
Although Ipswich are a side that can bring results out of nowhere, you would certainly expect Aston Villa to come on top in this one, especially as the home team lost against Wolves prior to the FA Cup break.
Whether or not Watkins is going to be available for selection remains to be seen but with Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers both stepping up with goals against Tottenham, Emery knows he does have the players in his side that can contribute even with players missing.
You can certainly understand why the offer for Duran was accepted with a nearly £65million bid offered from Al-Nassr for a player that was not even starting every game.
However, it did come at a bad time when Watkins picked up an injury not long after his departure.
That being said, with Marcus Rashford having joined the West Midlands side in the winter transfer window, he will certainly be eager to get off the mark in Claret and Blue.
There was plenty of energy shown in his Villa debut but the forward will be well aware that he has to back this up with contributions to the game that can prove he improves the side, ensuring he stakes a claim for his position.