Ollie Watkins is the perfect striker for Manchester United and a part of an Aston Villa group able to a protracted Uefa Champions League run in 2023/24, former Outdated Trafford winger Lee Sharpe has mentioned.
Rasmus Hojlund was the one United striker to succeed in double figures final season however the Denmark worldwide is out for six weeks with a hamstring harm – and Sharpe, who equipped the likes of Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes and Andy Cole throughout eight years on the membership, needs Watkins was obtainable to supervisor Erik ten Hag.
“I really like Ollie Watkins,” mentioned Sharpe, who can also be a “huge fan” of the England worldwide’s membership supervisor, Unai Emery. “I’d love Watkins to signal for United.
“Villa are my childhood group. They’re going to have a extremely good go on the Champions League and shock just a few individuals. With a very good draw and a slight little bit of luck in sure video games, they’ve received each probability of going deep within the competitors.”
13 @PremierLeague assists. 🎯
Get pleasure from the perfect of our Playmaker Award winner: Ollie Watkins! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ue7PZdww4V
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) Might 20, 2024
Watkins Villa stats
Solely three gamers netted extra occasions within the Premier League final season than Watkins, who signed a brand new contract in October tying him to the Villans till 2028 and completed on 27 targets in all competitions.
That kind helped Villa attain the Champions League for the primary time, persevering with their spectacular rise below Emery after qualifying for the Europa Convention League on the finish of the previous Arsenal supervisor’s first season in cost.
In contrast, 20-time champions United completed of their lowest place for 34 years and scored the joint-fewest targets of any membership within the high 10, though their shock FA Cup ultimate win over Manchester Metropolis despatched them to the Europa League and has added optimism to their pre-season preparations.
United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool within the US on Sunday was the second time they’ve failed to attain in 5 friendlies however Sharpe believes versatile Netherlands ahead Joshua Zirkzee might change their fortunes.
1⃣ 12 months of Rasmus 🙌
What number of targets will our new no.9 rating in 2024/25? 🤔#MUFC pic.twitter.com/fx6nNxxkfz
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 5, 2024
The 23-year-old joined for £36.5 million in July from Bologna, the place he scored 12 targets and arrange seven to assist the membership attain the Champions League for the primary time in additional than 60 years.
Zirkzee, Yoro signings
“Zirkzee seems to be like he might probably be a match-winner and a game-changer,” mentioned Sharpe, praising Ten Hag’s signings whereas talking to Most secure On line casino Websites.
“I all the time wish to see people who find themselves a menace going ahead. [Leny] Yoro seems to be first rate – he’s out for a short while however he seems to be like a high defender and he can play a bit when he’s on the ball.
“I simply hope they begin the season on the entrance foot and discover a bit extra consistency in video games – not simply from sport to sport, however the 90 minutes of a sport. I’m positive the entire gamers and the supervisor are nicely conscious of that and the brand new signings will give everybody a little bit of a elevate.”
Blasted into the nook by Lee Sharpe! 🎯#MUFC | #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/34rFfF3UDu
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) Might 27, 2022
Alejandro Garnacho offered 10 targets and 5 assists final season throughout an unproductive marketing campaign for United’s different wingers, with Antony – the membership’s second-most costly signing ever – ending on one purpose and one help within the Premier League.
Sharpe calls their failure to create hazard from crosses his “bugbear”. “My pet grudge is after they don’t miss the primary participant,” he explains.
“From corners, set items and crosses through the sport, it’s crucial that you just miss the primary man and get the ball right into a harmful space.
“I sit there and watch it with my seven-year-old son and I’m like ‘look: first man, first man, first man’. I’m completely pulling my hair out.”
💥 Straight from kick-off to a Lee Sharpe scissor-kick in 17 seconds! ✂️#MUFC #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/mgxDs92FZj
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 10, 2021
United’s most profitable supervisor, Sir Alex Ferguson, would give Sharpe a “rollicking” for deliveries which discovered the primary defender.
A 3-time Premier League champion, Sharpe received seven main trophies below Ferguson between 1991 and 1996, immediately contributing to 53 targets in 4 seasons.
Man United: Sharpe on wingers
“Generally it was about not placing a number of tempo on the cross, it was nearly lacking the primary man and placing it into the sting of the six-yard field and a yard or two outdoors of that,” he says.
“I might identical to to see the wingers knock it and run early in video games. All our wingers have tempo, energy and may go inside and outdoors.
“If they will go down the road slightly bit extra, combine it up and get some crosses in, that provides them a bonus as a result of the full-backs are undecided about which means they’re going to go.
“In the event that they race the full-back within the first couple of minutes, they let him know he’s in a sport and declare intent.”
United return to England to satisfy Manchester Metropolis within the Group Defend on Saturday (3pm) earlier than starting their Premier League marketing campaign at dwelling to Fulham on August 16 (8pm).
