Aston Villa secured a fourth-place finish in the Premier League as Ollie Watkins shone for Unai Emery however, there have now been some doubts raised over the striker.
When Unai Emery took charge at Villa Park in 2022, not many would have imagined that in less than two years, the Spaniard would make Aston Villa a Champions League club once more.
That’s the reality for Villa at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, as a fourth-place finish confirmed Champions League participation for next season, in what was a memorable year for the Midlands club.
From conducting an impressive summer in the transfer window to promoting a higher level of performance from the players he inherited from Steven Gerrard, Emery is flourishing at Villa, with plenty more for the former Arsenal boss to achieve.
One of the most prominent things that the manager has done at Villa is improve the game of Ollie Watkins, who ended the season on 32 goal contributions.
Garth Crooks shares praise and doubts about Ollie Watkins
Taking to his BBC Sport column, pundit Garth Crooks named Watkins in his Premier League Team of the Season for his contribution to Villa this term.
Crooks lauded the Villa talisman as ‘instrumental’ to the Midlands clubs’ fourth-place finish however, shared some reservations he has over the forward.
‘There were some who doubted whether Ollie Watkins could make a successful transition into the Premier League. Well, the player has certainly smashed that particular query into smithereens.
‘The question now is whether he can make the jump from the Premier League to international football.
‘Watkins has had an amazing season, with his 27 goals and 13 assists, and been instrumental in taking Villa into the Champions League. But, just how effective he will be for England at Euro 2024 remains to be seen.’
There wasn’t much more that Watkins could have done for Villa this term to boost his reputation at the club, warranting his spot in Crooks’ team of the season although, his focus on international football is peculiar.
There should be no doubts about Ollie Watkins ahead of the Euros after 2023/24
While the striker didn’t end the season as Villa’s all-time top scorer in a single Premier League campaign, falling short by just one goal, few other faults could be corrected when analysing his year in Emery’s side.
The March international break was tough for Watkins, as he failed to impress against Brazil at Wembley when handed the chance to start, prompting a host of questions to be asked about the forward’s chances of making the Euros.
There were consistent arguments over whether Ivan Toney or the Villa striker would travel to Germany, with the pressure now taken away with a bigger squad being able to go to the tournament.
Ending the season as the Premier League’s joint-fourth top scorer with 19 goals, and taking home the playmaker award having secured a high of 13 assists, Watkins showed any doubters how rounded a player he now is.
It’s perplexing that the March international break seems to cloud people’s judgement over whether the 28-year-old can impress for England this summer on the back of completing arguably the best campaign of his career.
The only way for the Englishman to respond to his critics is to mirror his form at Villa for his country at the Euros this summer, in what could be a pivotal tournament for the Villa frontman regarding his international career.
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