Premier League predictions: Chris Sutton v Back in Action star Jamie Demetriou
Aston Villa are eighth in the Premier League and ninth in the Champions League, so their season hasn’t been a disaster – they just looked a little flat at times.
Their forward position is an issue Villa boss Unai Emery must address after he played Jon Duran and Ollie Watkins together in the second half against Monaco, but they didn’t play well together. not good.
I don’t know if this is a matter of self-awareness, both forwards want to be the main force, but they both need to think about what is good for the team.
As a former forward, I know how other forwards want to be fed and understand how to create situations, but that doesn’t seem to be happening – Watkins and Duran aren’t connecting or clicking, which is a concern.
In order for a partnership to work, you have to understand your role on the team and how sometimes one of you has to sacrifice yourself.
Believe it or not, I know exactly where I am in the game and how to adjust my game. Some would say I’m selfless and a team player, and I won’t deny that.
I know there are different views because I listened to my old strike partner Alan Shearer telling Erling Haaland how you have to be single-minded in front of goal.
You do, you have to be selfish when taking risks. But football is a team sport and sometimes you have to be prepared to adapt and roll up your sleeves – Shearer always does – and try to play a role you don’t necessarily want to play, for the good of the team.
When Aston Villa’s squad is stretched thin and a bit tired, Watkins and Duran should be capable and knowledgeable enough about how to feed each other as the forwards know how to do that.
Failure to do so would be a stain on both players’ copybooks. They are both very talented players, but they need to work this out for the good of the team. Maybe Emery needs to play some Brazilian music in training to address these issues?
To be honest though, this is a crucial moment of Villa’s season and I think they will overtake West Ham.
Graham Potter’s side looked good when they beat Fulham last week, but I don’t think they’ll be lucky enough to beat Villa.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-1
Jamie’s prediction: Vera clearly has the potential to do damage, but I just feel like Porter has something to prove in his first month. 1-2
