Unai Emery has taken a huge gamble on Marcus Rashford… he must hit ground running to prove he’s not finished at 27

UNAI EMERY’S judgment of players is about to come under scrutiny like never before. For a man who comes across as cautious, modest and reserved, Emery has blown the lid off his outward persona by swapping Jhon Duran for Marcus Rashford. Duran was considered a ‘challenge’ at Villa. A product of his upbringing in Colombia but hard work nonetheless. Turning up late for training; too many tantrums on the pitch.

Rashford didn’t even get that far in his final death throes at Manchester United. An outcast elbowed from the squad. Ridiculed by manager Ruben Amorim for an alleged lack of application. But his efforts fighting child poverty suggest his heart is in the right place. On the face of it, Emery appears to have swapped like-for-like at a crucial point in time for him and his employers, and taken a gamble even Villa’s shirt sponsors might baulk at.

They face Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday, which could see Rashford play for the first time since December 12, after joining on loan until the end of the season. Through to the last 16 of the Champions League, there’s plenty to aim for this season. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. Equally, the demands of fighting on so many fronts has taken its toll in the Premier League. Two points from the last nine has seen Villa slip to eighth.

The goal for the vast majority of managers competing in Europe’s top competition is to qualify again the following year because there’s  little hope of actually winning it. That means Villa need a kick-start in the league. For that, Emery needs a  committed squad that can be relied upon week in, week out. No shirkers, no sulking, no dodgy sicknotes. Otherwise it’s curtains for the boss. Emery had his fingers burnt before trying to manage distracted stars, badly losing the battle with Mesut Ozil while attempting to keep Arsenal on the up following Arsene Wenger’s departure.

He inherited that situation but  nevertheless admitted he could not change the moody German, and it played a significant role in Arsenal’s downward slide at the time. So far so good with Rashford. The day after signing on Sunday, he asked to train while his team-mates were off. A cracking start but then it usually is before the expectation kicks in. The next five months are pivotal for Rashford, Emery and Villa’s hopes of ending the season on a high.

Rashford has been in mothballs for almost two months. He must hit the ground running and keep his nose clean until May to convince us he is not a busted flush at just 27. Duran was difficult but still racked up 12 goals before Villa turned a £50million-plus profit by flogging him. The direction of travel for Rashford’s market value is up to him but there is so much at stake for his manager to make sure this deal is successful.

It is possible to beat the odds and make these daring signings come off. Harry Redknapp risked his reputation by signing Paolo Di Canio for West Ham then made him a club legend. Juventus don’t regret signing Carlos Tevez and winning the Italian league after his soap opera years at  Manchester United and City. MATHIS AMOUGOU arrived at Chelsea on the back of an eight-year contract and immediately declared his aim to make an impression.

The midfielder, 19, gushed: “It’s an honour for me to sign for such a big club as Chelsea. “They believe in young players and the process they have in place for us to develop is fantastic.”. That’s probably what Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Deivid Washington, Djordje Petrovic, Cesare Casadei and Diego Moreira among others thought when they signed. Most have come and gone on loan and made little impact.

DEREK CHISORA was wrong to label boxing a ‘scumbag’ sport. Mostly the protagonists come from chequered backgrounds but have turned their back on crime and lowlife to become supreme athletes with incredible mental strength. Those with the courage to step into a ring and put their lives on the line are people of bravery and commitment and up with the greats of any sport. WHO would have thought golf could be such a ­riotous sport?.

Organisers of the Phoenix Open in Arizona are taking steps to avoid a repeat of last year’s mayhem when 54 fans were arrested and 300 ejected due to drunken rowdiness. One even leapfrogged the boundary ropes bare-chested and performed ‘snow angels’ in a bunker. Where do I get a ticket?. FRANCE will have boisterous support amongst an English crowd when they most likely win at Twickenham on Saturday.

It was the same in Dublin last Saturday when England lost their Six Nations opener to Ireland. Rugby prides itself on rival supporters being able to drink alcohol freely and still mingle in safety. Of course we get the look-down-your-nose comparison to football — where that doesn’t happen. Manchester United versus Rangers is the latest example with the trouble inside Old Trafford being universally condemned.