Aston Villa fans fume over player who looked ‘well off the pace’ vs Newcastle United
Newcastle United dropped points against 10-man Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
Villa Park hosted Eddie Howe’s team on 16 August, with the game ending in a 0-0 draw.
Craig Pawson sent Ezri Konsa off at around the hour mark for bringing Anthony Gordon down after the attacker was through on goal.
The Magpies had their fair share of opportunities throughout the game, as most of the Villans’ players looked off pace, but there was one poor performer who stood out negatively.
Morgan Rogers ‘shocking’ for Aston Villa vs Newcastle
Morgan Rogers wasn’t at his best against Newcastle, with one fan on X writing he was “well off the pace” during the game.
The 23-year-old looked rusty with the ball at his feet, with another supporter suggesting the Englishman was doing “a clumsy the clown impression”.
A third said: “Also, Rogers man. How do you just fall over the ball like that while driving into space?”
Other fans branded Rogers’ display at Villa Park “shocking” and want to see him regain his form after some underwhelming months.
While Unai Emery also came under criticism for not being proactive with his substitutions, the 23-year-old attacking-midfielder’s work rate was questioned after his “frustrating” display.
One supporter quipped: “Rogers’ performance has been so bad that I’m working on the basis that it’s a carefully crafted plan to ward off suitors from trying to sign him. Only explanation.”
Read More: Richard Keys says why Newcastle were hard done by vs Aston Villa after what he saw
Rogers game against Newcastle by numbers
Rogers has been linked with an exit from Villa, with top teams like Chelsea monitoring his development in Birmingham.
Evann Guessand has signed at Villa Park, and the powerful runner could now potentially replace the England international against Brentford on 23 August.
Rogers played a total of 90 minutes at home, completing just 50 per cent of his passes, 29 per cent of his long passes were accurate, and he had a combined xG and xA of 0.05, as per FotMob.
- Villa had 41 per cent possession against Newcastle.
- The hosts had an xG of 0.13.
- Howe’s team took 16 shots compared to the Lions’ three.
Despite playing in an advanced role, the 23-year-old had just two touches in the opposition box and completed 67 per cent of his dribbles at Villa Park.
The playmaker was also a defensive liability, winning just three of his six duels and losing all three of his aerial duels, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get dropped for the upcoming games.
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