John McGinn reacts to Ollie Watkins interview after Aston Villa disappointment
Aston Villa secured a massive boost in their pursuit of Champions League football with a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United last time out.
Sitting seventh in the Premier League, Unai Emery knows that there is still work to be done at Villa Park this season to gain another year of Champions League football.
Ollie Watkins opened the scoring against the Magpies almost immediately before a strong second-half saw his side run riot and take all three points.
With five Champions League spots available, though, Villa are only one point away.
John McGinn makes Watkins admission
Although Watkins has been the standout man for Aston Villa for some time, the forward has had to settle for warming the bench of late.
In the Champions League, Emery opted to start loanee Marcus Rashford instead of Watkins against Paris Saint-Germain, leaving him to feature from the bench only.
Watkins was called back into the starting line-up for the Newcastle clash and was seemingly eager to prove those decisions wrong with his performance.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 33 | 15 | 7 |
| Champions League | 12 | 1 | 4 |
It was an eye-catching afternoon for the 29-year-old, although it was his interview after the game which stole the headlines.
The England international made no secret of his disappointment at not starting in the Champions League, revealing that he had told his manager his feelings on the situation.
When asked by Sky Sports Premier League (22 April, 3:03) for his thoughts on Watkins’ performance, John McGinn replied: “His performance was good, but his interview was even better.
“It’s tough on Ollie because he’s been our go-to guy for a long time. I think for us, obviously, everyone would have expected Ollie to be on the teamsheet, but I think the manager has proven that he doesn’t care who you are.
“There’s times in the past few weeks I’ve been on the bench, there’s other players been on the bench. We’ve just got to try and put personal ambitions and personal thoughts to the side. We want to achieve something special, we want to get back to the Champions League, we want to win the FA Cup. So the team comes first.”
Emery has to be careful with Watkins
Emery hasn’t got to where he has in his career without being ruthless at times and if he is going to bring more success to Villa, that will translate into this squad too.
However, the worry in this case is prioritising a loan player who may well leave Villa Park for good at the end of the campaign, over a stalwart.
Arsenal were interested in Watkins in the winter transfer window, and although he stayed put in the West Midlands, if the game time isn’t assured, the striker could soon be looking for opportunities elsewhere.
The decision seemingly came as a shock to his teammates, too, with McGinn suggesting that Rashford’s selection was unexpected.
All Watkins can do for now is continue to perform in the way he did against Newcastle and prove to his manager that he is undroppable.
Villa would be hindered with the loss of Watkins and although Emery is trying to lead his side to victory, he must make sure he doesn’t forget to manage the players along the way either.