Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins would be dream Man United signing – Lee Sharpe

Ollie Watkins is nan perfect striker for Manchester United and portion of an Aston Villa squad tin of a agelong Uefa Champions League tally successful 2023/24, erstwhile Old Trafford winger Lee Sharpe has said.

Rasmus Hojlund was nan only United striker to scope double figures past play but nan Denmark world is retired for six weeks pinch a hamstring wounded – and Sharpe, who supplied nan likes of Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes and Andy Cole during 8 years astatine nan club, wishes Watkins was disposable to Erik 10 Hag.

“I emotion Ollie Watkins,” said Sharpe, who is besides a “big fan” of nan England international’s nine manager, Unai Emery. “I’d emotion Watkins to motion for United.

“Villa are my puerility team. They’re going to person a really bully spell astatine nan Champions League and astonishment a fewer people. With a bully tie and a flimsy spot of luck successful definite games, they’ve sewage each chance of going heavy successful nan competition.”

13 @PremierLeague assists. 🎯

Enjoy nan champion of our Playmaker Award winner: Ollie Watkins! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ue7PZdww4V

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 20, 2024

Watkins Villa stats

Only 3 players netted much times successful nan Premier League past play than Watkins, who signed a caller statement successful October tying him to nan Villans since 2027/28 and vanished connected 27 goals successful each competitions.

That shape helped Villa scope nan Champions League for nan first time, continuing their awesome emergence nether Emery aft qualifying for nan Europa Conference League astatine nan extremity of nan erstwhile Arsenal manager’s first play successful charge.

By contrast, 20-time champions United vanished successful their lowest position for 34 years and scored nan joint-fewest goals of immoderate nine successful nan apical 10, though their astonishment FA Cup last triumph complete Manchester City sent them to nan Europa League and has added optimism to their pre-season preparations.

United’s 3-0 conclusion to Liverpool successful nan US connected Sunday was nan 2nd clip they person grounded to people successful 5 friendlies but Sharpe believes versatile Netherlands guardant Joshua Zirkzee could alteration their fortunes.

1⃣ twelvemonth of Rasmus 🙌

How galore goals will our caller no.9 people successful 2024/25? 🤔#MUFC pic.twitter.com/fx6nNxxkfz

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 5, 2024

The 23-year-old joined for £36.5 cardinal successful July from Bologna, wherever he scored 12 goals and group up 7 to thief nan nine scope nan Champions League for nan first clip successful much than 60 years.

Zirkzee, Yoro signings

“Zirkzee looks for illustration he could perchance beryllium a match-winner and a game-changer,” said Sharpe, praising head Erik 10 Hag’s signings.

“I ever for illustration to spot group who are a threat going forward. [Leny] Yoro looks decent – he’s retired for a small while but he looks for illustration a apical defender and he tin play a spot erstwhile he’s connected nan ball.

“I conscionable dream they commencement nan play connected nan beforehand ft and find a spot much consistency successful games – not conscionable from crippled to game, but nan 90 minutes of a game. I’m judge each of nan players and nan head are good alert of that and nan caller signings will springiness everyone a spot of a lift.”

Blasted into nan area by Lee Sharpe! 🎯#MUFC | #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/34rFfF3UDu

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 27, 2022

Alejandro Garnacho provided 10 goals and 5 assists past play during an unproductive run for United’s different wingers, pinch Antony – nan club’s second-most costly signing ever – finishing connected 1 extremity and 1 assistance successful nan Premier League.

Sharpe calls their nonaccomplishment to create threat from crosses his “bugbear”. “My pet grudge is erstwhile they don’t miss nan first player,” he explains.

“From corners, group pieces and crosses during nan game, it’s imperative that you miss nan first man and get nan shot into a vulnerable area.

“I beryllium location and watch it pinch my seven-year-old boy and I’m for illustration ‘look: first man, first man, first man’. I’m perfectly pulling my hairsbreadth out.”

💥 Straight from kick-off to a Lee Sharpe scissor-kick successful 17 seconds! ✂️#MUFC #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/mgxDs92FZj

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 10, 2021

United’s astir successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, would springiness Sharpe a “rollicking” for deliveries which recovered nan first defender.

The three-time Premier League champion won 7 awesome trophies nether Ferguson betwixt 1991 and 1996, straight contributing to 53 goals successful 4 seasons.

Man United: Sharpe connected wingers

“Sometimes it was astir not putting a batch of gait connected nan cross, it was conscionable astir missing nan first man and putting it into nan separator of nan six-yard container and a gait aliases 2 extracurricular of that,” he says.

“I would conscionable for illustration to spot nan wingers sound it and tally early successful games. All our wingers person pace, powerfulness and tin spell wrong and outside.

“If they tin spell down nan statement a small spot more, operation it up and get immoderate crosses in, that gives them an advantage because nan full-backs are undecided astir which measurement they’re going to go.

“If they title nan full-back successful nan first mates of minutes, they fto him cognize he’s successful a crippled and state intent.”

United return to England to meet Manchester City successful nan Community Shield connected Saturday (3pm) earlier opening their Premier League run astatine location to Fulham connected August 16 (8pm).