Jacob Ramsey reacts to plea from Emi Martinez to Aston Villa fans
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has sent a message to fans ahead of a crucial Champions League tie against Club Brugge.
Aston Villa hold a 3-1 lead in their tie against the Belgian Pro League champions, and are looking to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Should they win, the Aston Villa will have paid off both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford’s loan fees, and continued success in the competition may allow them to make the Englishman’s deal a permanent one.
However, Aston Villa will face competition from Barcelona for Rashford, with the Catalan club interested in signing the winger in the summer, Mick Brown told Football Insider exclusively.
Emi Martinez tells Aston Villa fans ‘We need your energy’
Ahead of their clash at Villa Park on Wednesday evening (12 March), Martinez posted an image of his kit with a Champions League ball on Instagram, captioned: “We need your energy tomorrow Villains”.
The post was then liked by teammate Jacob Ramsey, who will be hoping to start against the Belgian side, having been rotated with Rashford in recent weeks.
| Aston Villa’s next three opponents | Competition | Date |
| Club Brugge (H) | Champions League | 12 March |
| Preston North End (A) | FA Cup | 30 March |
| Brighton (A) | Premier League | 2 April |
The 23-year-old left-winger started against Brentford, assisting Arsenal target Ollie Watkins for the games only goal, before being replaced in the 68th minute by the on-loan England international.
Ramsey has gone under-the-radar for Villa this season, with Morgan Rogers, Watkins, Rashford and now-departed teammate Jhon Duran stealing the limelight, but the England U21 international has been heavily relied upon by Unai Emery.
Aston Villa focus energy on cup competitions as Premier League form fades
Football Insider Verdict
The 1-0 win against Brentford on Saturday (8 March), was only Villa’s fourth win in the Premier League since the turn of the new year.
Having finished fourth last year, the Midlands side are now languishing in eighth place, and have looked a far-cry from the team that stormed to Champions League qualification last year.
However, it would we wrong to say this season has been a disappointment by any measure, as the Villains are in a good position to move into the quarter-finals in Europe, and are preparing to face off against Preston in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Qualification to the Champions League is seen as a barometer for success for clubs nowadays, but fans still yearn to see their team lift a trophy, and that seems to be the aim for Emery this year.
Man City and Nottingham Forest look like the teams to beat out of the remaining pool of clubs in the FA Cup, and if ever there was a year to win it, it would be now, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United and Newcastle all having been eliminated from the competition.