Unai Emery responds to Jhon Duran’s FURIOUS reaction to Aston Villa substitution
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran made a dramatic and angry exit from the field after being substituted by manager Unai Emery.
Duran was furious at being taken off after scoring with his last touch in Villa’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Bologna on Tuesday night.
Tensions flared in the home dugout when Emery decided to replace Duran with Ollie Watkins in the 65th minute. Villa’s Colombian striker, notorious for his unique and fiery personality, kicked his seat before making his way down the tunnel, visibly frustrated.
The 20-year-old’s reaction can be seen in two ways; either it’s positive he has an undisputed desire to play as many minutes as possible, or it’s a negative that he’s setting a bad example. Or, in truth, it could be seen as a concoction of the two.
Emery, who often sees his man management skills put to the test by the volatile Duran, isn’t upset with Villa’s number nine. There’s a sense that better professionalism could be shown but the head coach is happy to see emotion.
“Fantastic,” Emery said of Duran’s night on the whole. “It’s his first start in 11 matches this year. He played in a difficult moment and always it’s more difficult to start, but he maybe saw he was going to be changed an accelerated to score the goal.”
On Duran’s reaction to being substituted, Emery added: “No, of course I am managing everything but in everything we are sending the message in the dressing room, to respect our values and try to be mature and responsible. Sometimes players react a bit - not just Jhon Duran - but it is under my control.”