Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers explains why super-sub Jhon Duran is BETTER from the bench
Jhon Duran came off the bench to score the winner and deliver one of Aston Villa's most famous victories on Wednesday night when they beat Bayern Munich 1-0 at Villa Park
by Neil Moxley · The MirrorMorgan Rogers believes Jhon Duran revels in his role as super-sub - because it keeps him fresh.
Aston Villa’s King of Chaos jumped off the bench in stunning fashion on Wednesday night, delivering a knock-out blow to Bayern Munich with a magnificent 25-yard chip over Manuel Neuer.
It’s the fifth time this season he has made such an impact for Unai Emery ’s side and Rogers said that it is because he’s so bright-eyed when he enters games that he’s such a problem.
Asked about Duran’s habit of making a difference, Rogers said: “I think he likes it - it means he keeps himself fresh for the next game!
“Because he can do that - just come on and cause havoc for 25 minutes. He is unbelievable. The patience and concentration to stay focused and when you are called on, to do what he does and do it over and over and over again.
"Teams know he is scoring but you can’t stop it because sometimes he doesn’t even know what he is doing himself. He is such a threat and such a problem, a real handful. I am so glad he is here. He is winning us games at the moment and long may it continue.”
A string of Villa’s players, including absentee skipper John McGinn and Emi Martinez, have paid tribute to the change in the 20-year-old’s attitude after he returned from his summer break.
Villa fielded 40 enquiries from clubs willing to take the Colombian off their hands - and Rogers confirmed that there has been a change follow a close-season of confusion over the striker’s future. He said: “He has a belief in himself, you can see that.
“He is a good guy to have around the group. He lifts everyone’s spirits every day and reaps the rewards. You can see how happy we all are for him when he scores and that is because of the guy he is.”
In the immediate post-match interviews, Villa keeper Martinez suggested that Emery had highlighted the fact that Neuer likes to patrol on the edge of his area. Asked afterwards whether Duran acted upon that titbit of tactical knowledge, Rogers said: “We go through everything - every player.
“We know what they are going to do and their traits. Obviously it is different in the game because you don’t know what they are going to do, you can’t account for it. But you try and get traits and hints of what they might do.
“It’s hard when you are in the moment to actually remember a meeting from this morning - but I think he has probably looked up and gone for it. Jhon has the belief in himself to do anything.”
Manchester United are the next visitors to Villa Park on Sunday and Rogers said by way of understatement that the possibility of adding their scalp to Bayern Munich’s ‘wouldn’t make it a bad week.’
He said: “Obviously this will give us a kick on and a boost. That’s natural. But I think we have lost one game this season. There is belief there clearly.
“It will give us a natural knock on effect but we are confident in each other and you can see how we have been playing since the start of the season. We’ll be ready for Sunday.”
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