Steven Gerrard told he got things wrong with Aston Villa ace 'thriving on chaos'
Ollie Watkins is living his best life at Aston Villa - because Unai Emery has taught him how to profit from pandemonium.
The England striker has been front and centre of Villa’s resurgence under the Spaniard and will head to north London tomorrow in the form of his life. He’s already bagged 12 goals for club and country this season and deservedly won a starting spot in midweek for the Three Lions in North Macedonia.
And, according to former Villa legend Dean Saunders, he’s enjoying the time of his life because Emery has worked out what really makes him tick.
Saunders played some of the best football of his own career at Villa Park under Ron Atkinson and can see exactly how Villa’s current boss Emery has him working. He said: “When Steven Gerrard was manager, Villa were trying to play a style of football where Ollie doesn’t get the ball until the eighth or ninth pass. That didn’t suit him at all. He wasn’t scoring goals.
“He relies on a back four being out of shape when a ball is played up to him. He knows where to run. If you’re making eight passes, then any defence worth its salt has time to get set. They can put themselves into position and get the distances right between them - they’re all in sync.
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“But now when Villa turn the ball over - and the opposition right-back’s up the pitch - or one centre-half is a yard or two in front of the other one, as a striker you can suddenly see a gap to run into.
“If you’ve got four defenders stood in front of you, you’ve got nowhere to run apart from towards the ball. That doesn’t suit him. He needs to be going the other way - towards the goal.
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa celebrates scoring (Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)“Ollie Watkins thrives on chaos. He loves it. He looks for it and thrives off it. I can see exactly what Unai Emery has done.
“He’s pushed the defence 15 yards further up the pitch, they’re condensing the play and clearly their players have been told: ‘Get the ball up there to Ollie Watkins.’ He knows that. And it’s the best feeling ever.
“When I was playing, I used to demand that myself. If people passed the ball sideways without looking at me - and I was in on goal - I’d go mental at them.
“What Villa are doing is finding him. And he knows now when the opposition go forward with the ball, he drifts into gaps. Now, if John McGinn wins the ball back - he doesn’t even need to look - he knows Watkins is off. And once he’s off, with that pace he’s got, you aren’t going to catch him.”
Saunders says that Watkins is crucial to Emery’s set-up and isn’t in the least bit surprised that Villa have tied him down to a new five-year deal.
He added: “He’s absolutely vital to Villa. He’s just signed a long-term deal and I’m not in the least bit surprised.
“He’s a hard worker, he’s making those runs and people are finding him. Emery’s said to Villa’s players: ‘Your first thought is to get him in on goal - if you can’t wait until you can.'
“Funnily enough, he’s got a different situation with England. The build-up play is so slow that defenders can talk to each other and get into the right positions - he’s going to find it harder. Ollie’s strength is not playing with his back to goal. It’s work-rate, movement and getting him early. Emery’s got a plan, Ollie’s getting the right service - and he’s scoring goals.
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“As long as Villa can keep turning over possession, he’s going to be right in the game.”
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