After Unai Emery described Jacob Ramsey’s performance against Bournemouth as the best since he arrived at Aston Villa, the youngster will now be itching to build on it after the international break.
The 21-year-old produced an instant impact after Emery’s appointment, scoring and assisting in his first game in charge against Man Utd back in November.
READ MORE: Why key aspect of Villa win over Bournemouth was so important
While a hamstring injury derailed that early progress, Ramsey has been quiet since as his goal against Bournemouth was his first since that Utd game, ending a nine-game barren run with neither a goal nor an assist to his name.
In his defence, he has contributed in other ways to our improved form under Emery, as well as to the process of developing and implementing a new style to our play, and having been heavily involved when available for selection, it’s clear that the Villa boss values him highly.
However, Ramsey has spoken about it on several occasions in the past in terms of his desire to be more decisive and consistent with his goal contributions, and while he was keen to point out his goal against Bournemouth was a real confidence boost, he would have been further buoyed by Emery’s praise too.
“It was a good win,” Ramsey said in his post-match interview, as per BBC Sport. “I needed that goal for my confidence, I’ve not scored in a long time. The most important thing was the three points. Four unbeaten, last two wins at home. Our ambition this season was to push into the top half & get to eighth or ninth spot, but we’ve still got to beat a lot of teams.
“It’s different [his role] under this boss; my role is to get forward, create chances & get goals and assists. I managed to do that today. Me and Ollie Watkins have been working on the training ground. Everyone has had to adapt to the new gaffer’s style. I need to improve but I’m enjoying it.”
Emery noted on Ramsey: “He is young; he is here and involved at Aston Villa. He has the potential to learn some things and understand tactically what we want. Today he played the best match since I’m here.”
While the talented Villa youngster has shown both positive and promising signs under Emery’s stewardship, there was a reason for the Spanish tactician’s comments above this past weekend.
Against Bournemouth, Ramsey was in his element at times with his ability to turn, drive at the opposition defence with his powerful, pacy runs on the ball, while at other times breaking into the box in space and offering a real goalscoring threat.
Further, his composure and technical quality is improving too as he helps build our play in midfield, and of course he capped that all off with a wonderful goal as he showed a great burst in the box to create space for himself before finding the finish to effectively kill the game.
We’ve seen his ability in front of goal and in the final third, and Emery’s challenge now is to now help Ramsey find consistency and emerge as a serious threat for us in our general attacking play and with his well-timed runs into space in and around the box.
It’s been a huge boost to see Ollie Watkins be more clinical and score goals on a regular basis, but Villa need others to contribute and make us a more dynamic attacking outfit. Ramsey is certainly capable of providing that, and as we now prepare for a crucial run-in to see how far we go can this season, his goal against Bournemouth will hopefully be a catalyst that sees him become more decisive week in and week out.
