Aston Villa’s begin to the 2025/26 Premier League season has been removed from encouraging, with Unai Emery’s facet nonetheless trying to find their first league win after 5 matches.
Regardless of progress in Europe, home kind has left followers pissed off, and former England striker Darren Bent has now publicly questioned the dedication of considered one of Villa’s most proficient younger gamers.
Talking on talkSPORT, Bent singled out Morgan Rogers, claiming the 23-year-old winger appears like a shadow of the participant who shone so brightly final season.
Rogers was instrumental in Villa’s 2024/25 marketing campaign, scoring eight objectives and offering 10 assists because the membership reached the Champions League quarter-finals. His rise even attracted curiosity from Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea over the summer season, with hypothesis mounting {that a} transfer might have materialised.
Morgan Rogers is struggling to carry out at Aston Villa
Nonetheless, Villa shut the door on any departure and insisted the participant was a part of Emery’s long-term mission.
But for the reason that new season kicked off, Rogers has struggled badly for kind. In seven appearances throughout all competitions, he has did not register a single objective or help.
Talking on talkSPORT, Bent mentioned:
“Watkins has acquired no confidence, and you’ll see that. However Morgan Rogers appears like he isn’t , and I feel as soon as – followers are fairly fast, after they see a participant not fairly working or doing what they had been doing final season, they go ‘maintain on, what’s happening right here?’
“Properly, he was linked to some huge golf equipment, and perhaps he was considering ‘oh I wouldn’t thoughts considered one of them’ and it hasn’t occurred. And that’s why perhaps he’s somewhat bit throwing his toys out the pram somewhat bit. As a result of he was good for England.
“So he’s the one I have a look at and go ‘come on’ as a result of I feel he’s a implausible younger participant.”
Unai Emery should be involved about Rogers & Watkins
Villa’s struggles should not solely all the way down to Rogers, with Ollie Watkins additionally enduring a troublesome spell in entrance of objective. Nonetheless, as considered one of Villa’s brightest prospects and final season’s PFA Younger Participant of the 12 months, Rogers’ lack of spark is proving particularly damaging to Emery’s system.
Emery faces an important determination within the coming weeks, whether or not to stick with a struggling expertise within the hope he rediscovers his spark, or to shake issues up and switch to alternate options.
Rogers stays an distinctive prospect, however until his mentality and performances enhance shortly, Villa’s hopes of climbing out of the relegation zone might be in severe jeopardy.
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