---
title: "Aston Villa: Noel Whelan suggests benching Jacob Ramsey"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-noel-whelan-suggests-benching-jacob-ramsey-steven-gerrard-emiliano-buendia-southampton-villa-team-news/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2022-03-05T10:35:40Z"
modified: "2022-03-05T10:35:40Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Noel Whelan suggests benching Jacob Ramsey

**Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard may need to offer Jacob Ramsey a ‘small rest period’ for the youngster’s benefit.**

That’s according to the former Leeds United man Noel Whelan, who was speaking to [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/aston-villa-news-jacob-ramsey-tipped-for-axe-amid-massive-gerrard-claim-pundit/).

### The lowdown

Ramsey was a substitute for the final four matches of Dean Smith’s tenure but returned to the starting line-up for Gerrard’s first game in charge against Brighton in November and has [featured in the XI for all but one Premier League fixture since](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jacob-ramsey/leistungsdaten/spieler/503749).

The 20-year-old has [scored five goals](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/top-scorers), one of which ignited Villa’s comeback in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United in January.

[Only Ollie Watkins](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/top-scorers) (six) has found the net more times for the Midlands outfit so far this season.

Ramsey has well and truly ‘burst onto the scene’, in the words of Whelan, with [The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/02/10/lowdown-jacob-ramsey-watching-steven-gerrard-videos-dad-fought/?utm_content=football&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1644491079) claiming he could now be on Gareth Southgate’s radar for the World Cup at the end of the year.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”389386″\]

### The latest

Whelan, [a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds](https://icdb.tv/stats/4247/Noel-Whelan), is under no illusions as to the qualities Ramsey provides – end-product, drive and energy – but warned that they may be feeling ‘the pinch of the Premier League’.

Gerrard, he says, will be wary of the physical and mental toll for a young player who’s just broken through, and may briefly take him out of the firing line as a result in a ‘massive call’.

“He’s really burst onto the scene and claimed that spot,” [Whelan said](https://www.footballinsider247.com/aston-villa-news-jacob-ramsey-tipped-for-axe-amid-massive-gerrard-claim-pundit/).

“He has brought goals, assists into that midfield – and he’s quite a powerful player. That’s what you’ve got to look at. He drives with the ball and gives you loads of energy.

“I think sometimes as a younger player coming through after being in that youth setup – you can feel the pinch of the Premier League.

“He’s played a lot of games in the past couple of months, and that requires a lot of intensity. Sometimes it can catch up with you – physically and mentally.

“I think Steven Gerrard will be massively aware of those dangers having come through at a very young age himself.

“A small rest period would be a massive call, but may well be good for the young man, and with the likes of Buendia on the bench – they’ve got a really good amount of depth to replace him.”

### The verdict

Gerrard may be hesitant to rotate Ramsey given that he produced a solid performance as Villa returned to winning ways against Brighton last week.

The [£13.5million-rated](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jacob-ramsey/leistungsdaten/spieler/503749) Englishman won seven of his 13 ground duels, making five tackles, and also completed 19 of his 23 passes (via [SofaScore](https://www.sofascore.com/aston-villa-brighton-and-hove-albion/FP)).

What’s more, Buendia – [predominantly an attacking midfielder](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emiliano-buendia/leistungsdaten/spieler/321247) and sometimes a winger – probably shouldn’t be seen as a like-for-like replacement for a central midfielder in Ramsey.

He may encounter a rough patch at some stage, testing Gerrard’s man management skills, but that doesn’t seem to have arrived just yet.

**In other news, [a source has shared an update on the future of Ollie Watkins](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-news/aston-villa-source-shares-ollie-watkins-update/).**