Roy Keane has leapt to the defence of Marcus Rashford after the forward was named in the Aston Villa starting XI ahead of Ollie Watkins.
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Watkins has revealed anger at being benchedLeft out against Man City with Rashford startingKeane says Emery's job is not to keep Watkins happyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Watkins has spoken of his anger at being benched at Aston Villa following the arrival of Rashford on loan from Manchester United. The forward responded by grabbing a goal and assist last time out in an impressive win over Newcastle after returning to the starting XI. However, it's not been enough to keep him in the team, with Watkins back on the bench for Tuesday's Premier League clash with Manchester City.
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Former United captain Roy Keane has shared his thoughts on Unai Emery's team selection and feels the Villa boss has made the right call by selecting Rashford to start against Manchester City. The United loanee knows exactly what it takes to score against Pep Guardiola's side, and Keane says it's not up to Emery to keep Watkins happy.
WHAT KEANE SAID
He told : "Rashford obviously has a good track record here with United. He's produced in big games before. So it's a tough decision for the manager to make. But he's got vast experience of making these big decisions. When a manager is asked about keeping players happy, that's not his job. A manager's job is not to keep players happy, it's to get results. This manager is doing it. And it's a good option to have in terms of coming off the bench. The manager in his interview, he seems really focused, he knows what the game's about. He's got to get that balance right with his squad. And if Rashford does the business tonight you'll be saying well done. If not, you say to Watkins – 'get warmed up, you're going on'. That's the beauty of having a big squad. There's huge pressure on Aston Villa to be in the Champions League squad with their wage budget, the players they have brought in. He's made a big call but that's what he's paid to do."
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Tuesday's match could prove crucial in the battle to secure Champions League football for next season. Villa will leapfrog City in the table and move into fourth place with victory over Guardiola's side.