I’m so on the fence with Rogers. Reading what Villa fans say about him, he takes a lot of risks and loses the ball a decent amount which is something that works there but not sure it will fly here as we already have seen the frustration when Eze loses the ball trying something. I DO think we need more players willing to try things but there’s a balance. He’s also not an elite passer, needs a bit of runway to get up to speed and doesn’t have an elite first step from a standstill. That gives me concern when facing low blocks. Villa fans also complain about consistency and him going missing but he’d have less responsibility here to carry the team like he does there.
On the flip side, he’s probably been one of the top 3-5 players I’ve seen go against our defense in the league in the last 2 seasons. He made Rice look bad against us last season with his combo of carrying ability and strength. He also has great ball striking and scores worldies from difficult angles and ranges - something I think we desperately need more of to crack games open. I also could see him going to another level in a top team.
I do dream of us getting more technical small space players in the squad but his traits are tempting. Firmly right in the middle on this one. Won’t be opposed but also want a little more.
