Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has set an ambitious target for forward Morgan Rogers, urging him to aim for a minimum of 20 goal contributions this season. Rogers has made a notable impact during his first full campaign at Villa Park, recently earning his first senior cap for England. His growing influence was evident in the club's latest victory over former side Manchester City, where he scored his fifth goal and provided four assists.
Last season, the 22-year-old recorded a total of 20 goal contributions, comprising 10 goals and 10 assists across all competitions. However, it is worth noting that only four of these contributions came while playing in the Premier League for Villa, as he spent the first half of the season on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship. Despite the increased competition in both the Premier League and the Champions League, Emery has made it clear that he expects Rogers to meet or surpass last season's figures.
Emery stated, "Collectively and individually we will need his numbers. I am very demanding with him. Morgan is very important for us. I need his performance every match we are playing. He is young and his potential is to try to get those numbers in the present or future. Of course, my demand of him is to get it. We need players in the attacking third to get double numbers - 10 (goals)-10 (assists), 11-11 hopefully. Morgan, after speaking with me, has the challenge to get it."
The Villa manager also highlighted the importance of other key players in achieving the team's objectives, mentioning, "Of course I need as well Leon Bailey, John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey for those numbers. We will need these individually as collectively we can be close to our target if they are getting it. He has a lot of responsibility in my idea and style and I'm trying to push him a lot. I'm very happy with him but I want more from him."
Looking ahead, Aston Villa faces a formidable challenge against Newcastle United, a venue where they have not won since 2005 and where they have conceded nine goals in their last two visits. Despite these daunting statistics, Emery, who has reported no new injury concerns and is likely to start Jhon Duran in place of Ollie Watkins, remarked, "It's news to motivate us more. We respect them a lot. We lost 5-1 there last year and the year before we lost 4-0. They were favourites at the beginning of the season to be in the top seven. We respect them. We will have to play a complete match - mentally, tactically, individually. The last matches they have finished strongly. I think they are in good form."
Emery’s emphasis on individual performance and goal contributions reflects his high expectations for the squad as they strive to make a significant impact this season. With a blend of youthful talent and experienced players, Aston Villa are poised to rise to the challenge ahead.