Andy Townsend issues England challenge to Morgan Rogers after Aston Villa vs Burnley
Andy Townsend sent Morgan Rogers a message after the midfielder’s performance against Burnley on Sunday.
Villa beat Burnley 2-1, in what ultimately ended as a closely-contested affair despite the home side’s first-half domination.
Donyell Malen scored either side of the break to put Unai Emery‘s team well ahead, but Lesley Ugochukwu capitalised on some poor defending to halve the deficit late on.
Boubacar Kamara was among the standouts for Villa against Burnley, with the Frenchman proving key to secure the three points.
Rogers was called up to the England squad, and will now spend the international break with Thomas Tuchel‘s men.
Andy Townsend hails the ‘incredible potential’ of Morgan Rogers
It has been suggested that off-pitch problems are at the root of Rogers’ issues this season, but the midfielder has continued to feature for Emery’s team.
And against Burnley, the England international looked somewhat like the player awarded with last season’s PFA Young Player of the Year award once again.
Rogers claimed the assist for Malen’s second goal, rolling the ball through to the Dutchman, who made no mistake.
And the 23-year-old won the majority of his duels, constantly getting on the ball in an attempt to drive Villa up the pitch.
| Morgan Rogers | Vs Burnley (H) |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Duels won | 6/12 |
| Successful dribbles | 1/3 |
There were still downsides to his performance, however. On several occasions, Rogers could have created great chances for his teammates with better passes.
Speaking to VillaTV after the game, Townsend challenged the former Middlesbrough man to get back to his best.
“If I was in that dressing room, a teammate of Morgan’s, or I’m sure the coaching staff,” the former Villa midfielder said on Sunday.
“I’d be saying ‘next summer at the World Cup, do you just want to go and be part of the squad? Or do you want to go and play.’
“Because he’s got the ability, I’m telling you, this boy, to travel away with England and be a starter.”
“He’s got incredible potential, you speak to any ex-player in the game – fans know it, fans can see it.
“But you speak to any ex-player, he’s the sort of player you would not want to play against, you really wouldn’t. Because he can hurt you, he really can,” Townsend added.
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Rogers can turn around his season
Rogers earned the faith of his manager last season, and the midfielder will continue to have a place in the Villa team.
His performance against Burnley was one of positives, and a step in the right direction.
With the international break to come, Rogers can now focus on regaining his confidence ahead of a crucial Villa period.
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