Yorke: Rogers Would Be Mad to Swap Starring at Villa for the Arsenal Bench

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke has advised Morgan Rogers to think again before swapping his star role at Aston Villa for a spot on the bench at Arsenal .

The former Aston Villa star has explained why Rogers would fit better at Manchester United , assessed what success looks like for Sunderland in Europe , and warned Eddie Howe that another derby double defeat would cost him his job.

Yorke has also backed Wrexham , Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers to target promotion from a wide-open Championship , and revealed his own hunger to land a management job at that level.

Morgan Rogers

What's Your Advice to Morgan Rogers?

Morgan Rogers ? I think that if you're looking to join a club, you have to ask the question of where you fit in. Morgan Rogers is not getting into this Arsenal team as a regular starter. Martin Odegaard is there, and he's the captain. Eberechi Eze isn't a regular. It's a fabulous squad, but where is Rogers supposed to play?

When I left Aston Villa to go to Manchester United , the first question I asked Sir Alex Ferguson was how do you see me, and where do you see me in the team? He said he saw me as the number nine, and of course, he didn't make any guarantees, but he told me you are my nine. In other words, he handed me the shirt first. It was up to me whether I wanted to take it. I moved to United for a record fee at the time, but for what? I wasn't going to sit on the bench. I think Morgan Rogers would have a better chance if he went to a team like Manchester United , who are on the up again. He is more likely to play as a regular starter there for the fee he'd be going for.

When you go into this Arsenal side, which already has Eze , Odegaard and Declan Rice , how do you fit into that? Rogers has to think very carefully about it because it's all well and good going to a club like Arsenal to win things, but not if you're going to be left on the bench. Morgan Rogers wouldn't be moving to a bigger club if he joined Arsenal because Aston Villa are a big club, and they're looking to establish themselves as one of the top four or five teams in the country again, which is something they should have always been.

They are regaining that status in the game, so Rogers has to think very carefully about whether he wants to leave this project. He doesn't want to go somewhere else and end up not playing, being swapped in and out. I wouldn't want to see him messed around like that as he enters his peak years. If he were to go to Arsenal , how many games does he really think he is likely to start?

He can stay at Aston Villa , playing regularly for a team that is on the up, with a terrific manager and a team carrying bigger expectations now than before. If it's all about money, maybe he ought to go in and say he needs a bigger contract to stay, because I would stay at Villa , as this Villa team are not far from the other teams. The next step for Unai Emery now is winning a Premier League title. Does Rogers really want to miss out on that?

Should United Offer Rashford in Part-Exchange For Rogers?

A swap deal to sign Morgan Rogers for Marcus Rashford plus cash? That would not be a bad thing, I don't think, but it depends on how Aston Villa see it. I think Unai Emery needs to convince him that he can stay and do the unthinkable with Villa , which is to win the Premier League . To do that, you need your best players. You can't go selling them, or you'll go backwards.

If you just want to remain in the top four, fine. You can sell whoever you want. But if Villa really want to go to the next level, they should keep Rogers and still sign Rashford if he doesn't want to stay at United . Go and get him. He'd be happy back at Villa , I'm sure, and he could make a huge difference.

Sunderland & Newcastle

What Does Success Look Like For Sunderland?

No one expected Sunderland to do as well as they did last season, and they've done incredibly well. They defied the odds in so many respects, and now they're in Europe . I mean, after Leicester City winning the league, that's as good an achievement as you will ever get from a team that was predicted to finish last and get relegated. I would think that anything that is finishing in the top 10 would be a success, but the problem is when you finish seventh, then suddenly anything below that the next season can look negative.

If you don't finish in a position above where you finished last time, it's never good enough for some people. Sometimes, even owners can get ahead of themselves when realistically, you would think that survival in the Premier League is more important than another finish in the European places. Sunderland had a season to remember, but this season, so long as they are surviving, they should be happy with finishing in the top 13 or top 14 teams in the Premier League . If they can finish in those positions again without the stress of slipping into the relegation battle, then that's where they want to be.

When the likes of Chelsea and all the rest of them are struggling with their bigger budgets and greater expectations, you realise maybe Sunderland are fine to follow their own path because you've got to be careful how you approach this second season. I think survival and top 12 would be a good, successful season for Sunderland , especially now playing in Europe . Their squad needs more if they are going to cope with the demands, and they need more players with the right experience of playing across multiple competitions, not just Granit Xhaka . It's going to be tough, but they have to stay mindful of what's more important: Europe or staying in the Premier League .

What Are the Consequences For Eddie Howe?

Eddie Howe losing twice to Sunderland and finishing below them last season didn't resonate very well with the fans. It doesn't matter where you are in the world; when it comes to your local derby, you cannot lose both of those games in a season. No matter what else is going on against the other teams, you have to get a result in these games. To lose both home and away to your rival like that, it's unsustainable because the local fans know what comes with it.

They know how fierce it is. They will have been reminded of it every day and every week just walking through their communities or going to pick up the kids from school. They've had to have the conversations in their workplaces. You're getting people heckling you, and Eddie Howe will lose his job if he suffers another repeat this year. It's got nothing to do with anything else. That's how important these local derbies are.

But I don't think it will happen again this year. It wasn't a fluke by Sunderland because they deserved to win those games. They were the better team in both games. But I don't think Newcastle will allow themselves to be beaten like that again, especially not at home. That's not something you can allow, for your rivals to get one over you in your local derbies like that. If it happens again, it won't end well for Eddie Howe .

The Championship

Can This Be Wrexham's Year?

The Championship is always open for anyone to come and win it. I look back to my experience as a player in the Championship to realise how that league operates, and everybody has a genuine chance from top to bottom, whether it's the teams that are favourites with the bigger budgets or the teams that surprise you. We know West Ham , Wolves and Burnley are dropping back down with their parachute payments and Premier League players, and so they dominate the conversations, and it does have a little bit of a knock-on effect.

But I think everybody should take a leaf out of Coventry City 's book. They defied the odds last year under Frank Lampard , and anybody in this league with a decent squad and a good manager can get themselves promoted. It doesn't matter what the predictions say about them before the season kicks off. If you're brave enough to go out and play the way you need to play and fight for it, you can get up there. That's my experience of the Championship . When I joined Sunderland , we were in 23rd place. By April , we'd won the league. That tells you everything.

It doesn't matter who you are or who you play for; if you put your mind and soul into it, the Championship will reward you. You can get it done. It's a league that is as wide open as ever. Anyone can get promoted, so why can't Wrexham , Birmingham City or Blackburn Rovers go out there and do it this season? Who thought Hull City would go up to the Premier League last year? There's another example to look at. Wrexham have never made it to the Premier League , but Birmingham and Blackburn have played in the top flight before, so why would you not go into the season thinking you can get back up there? With the extra two playoff places, these teams have never had more ways to get promoted than they do now.

Management Ambitions

Have You Been Inspired by Frank Lampard's Success?

Has Frank Lampard 's success with Coventry City inspired me? Listen, I can't do what Frank Lampard does. I can only do what Dwight Yorke can do, and I need the opportunity to show what I can do as a manager. I feel I'm qualified now for the opportunity, even more so after being the head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team. I've obviously managed at club level too with Macarthur in Australia , so I've spent five years gaining experience and getting my credentials in order.

Any owner or CEO is going to ask you about your experience in the game, but being a player and being a manager are two completely different things, and that's something that people tend to use against you. I won't say that's a load of nonsense because I know experience is vital, but we have seen experienced managers given roles that haven't done anything. That's not questioned. When you have a young manager who is learning his trade outside of England , and who really wants to show that he's hungry to learn and show what he's capable of doing, a job in the Championship would be an excellent opportunity.

I understand the Championship . I've been a player in the Championship . I know what it takes to go and get promoted to the Premier League . I would love that opportunity if and when it presented itself, and I'm certainly qualified to take on that sort of challenge now. My eyes are open to the difficulties, but I'm seeking a job at that level now.

I've left my position with Trinidad and Tobago , and I'm looking for a Championship team who are ready to try and get me in there, but it's not based on what Lampard has done. It's based on the potential of what my knowledge and experience can provide to a club. I have the appetite to be a very good manager and get a team promoted, and I'm ready for that challenge. Hopefully, I will get that opportunity soon.

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