Aston Villa hot-shot Cameron Archer giving Steven Gerrard plenty to ponder
Steven Gerrard admitted Villa’s kids are giving him food for thought after a Cameron Archer goal earned a 1-0 pre-season win over Brisbane Roar.
The 20-year-old’s 78th-minute goal, set up by fellow academy product Kaine Kesler Hayden, was enough to clinch victory and see Villa lift the Queensland Champions Cup.
Archer, Kesler Hayden and Tim Iroegbunam, who also impressed in the second half in Townsville, all have suitors in the Championship keen to take them on loan for the season but Gerrard admitted if he was making the decision today, all three would likely be staying as part of the first-team squad.
“They really stepped forward,” he said. “What they’re doing is they’re sending messages to more experienced people that there’s a fight on from now until the game against Bournemouth and beyond because the window is still open.
“They’ve given me serious things to think about and that’s the reason why I’m here.”
“Tim played with discipline, I was delighted with Tim. He’s really given me something to think about, whether to keep him in or not. But I’ll make a decision extremely late on that but, if I was under pressure now, he’d be staying in.
“Cam showed everything that Cam’s about, movement, quality, could have a hat-trick but for a few good blocks but, again with Cam, if you don’t let me leave the room and I’d have to make a decision now, he’d be staying in the door.”
Emi Martinez made his first appearance of pre-season, captaining the team as Villa made it two wins from two Down Under, following on from Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Leeds.
The Argentina international was the only player to feature for more than 45 minutes against the Roar, before being replaced by Robin Olsen midway through the second half with Gerrard having once again changed his entire outfield unit at half-time. Defender Frederic Guilbert and midfielder Morgan Sanson did not feature at all in the matchday squad.
Archer had missed the chance to break the deadlock minutes before his goal when he shot wide but made no mistake second time around, firing home right-footed after Ollie Watkins failed to connect with Kesler Hayden’s cross.
