Unai Emery insists he has Jhon Duran ‘under control’ after the Aston Villa player lashed out after his Champions League substitution.
But one talkSPORT caller hasn’t been so forgiving, labelling the striker’s reaction as ‘disgraceful’, while ex-Chelsea defender Jason Cundy likened him to ‘Scooby-Doo’ character ‘Scrappy-Doo’.
Villa equalled a club-record on Tuesday night as they beat Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League in front of a packed Villa Park.
John McGinn and Duran got themselves onto the score sheet to put Villa top of the table in the league stage.
But whilst most Villans were on cloud nine, Duran was seen absolutely seething, with cameras capturing his animated reaction to getting hauled off by Unai Emery in the second half.
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The 20-year-old found the net in the 64th minute, converting Morgan Rogers’ low cross, but was taken off for Ollie Watkins one minute later.
Duran has become Villa’s super sub after scoring five goals off the bench this season, so is used to minimal minutes – but as he came off just after his goal, he was seen hitting the substitutes bench seats.
He then walked down the tunnel before re-emerging at the end of the match to join in with celebrations.
After the match, manager Emery insisted he had ‘no problem’ with the youngster’s reaction.
Emery, who has led Villa to three wins out of three in the Champions League, said: “I have no problem with his reaction. Every message we send in the dressing room is about respect and having our values.
“Some young players can react a little bit but it is under my control. His first start of this year – always it is more difficult to start when the opponents are fresh.
“He played very well and he scored a good goal. It was fantastic the way he accelerated.
“We will play both strikers sometimes and when they play individually as well as today – with Ollie Watkins – it is best for the team.”
But some Villa fans didn’t have quite the same reaction – at least one talkSPORT caller didn’t, anyway.
Jamal the Villa fan told the Sports Bar: “It’s absolutely disgraceful that after a game where Villa have beaten Bologna, Unai Emery has to come out and answer question about a young lad who’s 20, who’s still developing, and his attitude.
“Yes he’s in great form at the minute, but when you’ve got the likes of Ollie Watkins who has been absolutely brilliant for Villa all the way through the Premier League, you’ve got to bide your time as a 20 year old.”
Jamal then stated: “He’s got to bide his time, learn and develop and stop making Unai Emery have to answer questions about his behaviour.”
Sports Bar co-host Cundy meanwhile stressed the Colombia international cannot act like that, especially in front of the cameras.
“You can’t be doing that,” he said. “You can’t be punching and kicking seats. It’s a little bit public.
“I know he’s a big dog because he’s scoring so many goals right now, but he’s still a little puppy.
“He’s like Scrappy-Doo!”
After O’Hara was left puzzled over who Scrappy-Doo was, Cundy laughed, before adding: “He was Scooby-Doo’s little nephew, he thought he was the big dog. Every now and then he’d get a little slap.
“[Duran] thinks he’d hard and probably got a little bite on him, but right now, you can’t be doing that on the touch line!
“Emery will say to him , ‘No, you, Scrappy. Sit down!'”
Duran has now bagged seven goals in 404 minutes across 12 games for Villa this season.