I’LL KEEP ON HOGAN THE LIMELIGHT
£12m man tells boss: No need for another striker now that I’ve hit form
SCOTT HOGAN is hellbent on having the last laugh in Aston Villa’s ‘house of fun’ – and has urged Steve Bruce to leave it to him to get the goals that will fire them to promotion.
The £12million hitman has found his scoring touch at long last and his first-half goal secured a third successive win to lift Bruce’s side up to fourth place in the Championship.
The long-term absence of Jonathan Kodjia has led to speculation that a new striker will be arriving at Villa Park in this transfer window – but Hogan is confident he can deliver the goods.
The ex-brentford frontman said: “I will tell the manager don’t bother signing a new striker. If he wants to get someone, then go on. But he isn’t going to play.
“I ain’t giving up my place now, I have sat on the bench for too long because it has not gone as well as everyone had hoped when I came here.
“People can talk about signings, there is obviously speculation. But I’m just concentrating on myself. I will get the goals, I know I will.”
Hogan points to his own inner belief and the culture of enjoyment created by Bruce (above) as reasons why things are going so well now.
He admitted: “Away from football, I am really shy and quiet.
“But you’ve got to keep telling yourself you’re here for a reason and convince yourself you’re the best, even more so when times are hard. I’ve done that all my career. I’ve scored goals wherever I’ve been, my stats back that up. I believe I can do it and it’s starting to come good. “The gaffer creates that culture where you can enjoy yourself and have a good laugh.
“Because there’s enough pressure playing for this club, we’ve got to enjoy ourselves. “We’ve got to try and relieve that pressure and have a laugh. He knows what it’s all about, having been a player himself. “I haven’t been at Villa long, but this is probably one of the best groups they’ve had here in terms of morale and the way we get on. There are no cliques or anything like that.”
For Forest, and Eric Lichaj in particular, it was very a much case of after the Lord Mayor’s show as Hogan headed home from close range in the first half, condemning them to a third successive home defeat in the Championship.
Former Villa defender Lichaj had been hoping to end his week on another high note after his two-goal heroics in the FA Cup, signing a new contract and the social media campaign which resulted in his wife allowing him to get a dog.
“This result was a buzz kill,” he said.
“It’s not the way I wanted the week to end, but that’s gone now, so we have to start getting some points on the board and climb up the table. We’re starting to slip a bit and no one wants a repeat of what happened last season.”
The result was not what Aitor Karanka wanted either, as his first game in charge at the City Ground ended in disappointment.
However, Lichaj stressed: “The new manager hasn’t had much chance to change things in the past few days.
“But if we go from a base like the Arsenal game, play in that shape and with that work ethic, then whatever the manager brings will be a step in the right direction.”