MY ACCOUNT
Unai Emery begins life at Aston Villa today under no illusions about the big job he is facing.
If the 4-0 win over Brentford after Steven Gerrard’s sacking was a reminder of their potential, Saturday’s drubbing by the same score at Newcastle showed just how much work still needs to be done.
Villa’s owners hope the former Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal manager’s appointment can finally help them achieve their lofty ambitions.
But with the team currently three points off the relegation zone in 16th, guiding them away from trouble is the immediate task at hand.
Ahead of Emery’s first game in charge against Manchester United on Sunday, we look at the key areas he must address to transform Villa’s fortunes.
Instil a winning mentality
Villa’s topsy-turvy form in the last two games shows that there are mentality issues within the camp that need working on.
When things are going well with a raucous crowd behind them, the Villans can look electric. But they have a tendency to lose their heads and go under after going a goal down away from home.
After shipping three in 11 minutes at St James’ Park, defender Tyrone Mings said: “It was never going to be easy.
“But if you go 2-0 down and you still want to chase a goal, I think it shows naivety. You can’t concede so many goals in a quick spell like that.
“It’s basics, like I say, you come away from home and you have to be hard to beat, you have to be hard to break down, you have to fight, you have to do all the ugly things.”
Teams capable of punching above their weight are a regular trait of previous Emery sides and the hope will be that he can replicate that at his new club.
Keep the camp happy
Gerrard’s final months in charge were blighted by rumblings of discontent among the squad, with his decision to strip the captaincy off Mings becoming an unwelcome distraction.
It seemed to have a particularly negative effect on John McGinn — the man who was subsequently handed the armband and whose performances have dropped off this term.
West Ham striker Michail Antonio recently suggested there was an unhappy camp at Bodymoor Heath under the former boss.
He told the Footballers’ Football Podcast: “What I’ve heard in the grapevine is that there is a few players who weren’t really having him.
“I’m not sure how many. But what I’ve heard in the grapevine is that there were a few players who didn’t like how he was.
“It wasn’t how he wanted to play, it was more how he was a manager himself and how he dealt with the players. That’s what I heard.”
The Villans have lacked an identity for far too long. To establish one, it is imperative Emery creates an atmosphere and a system that can be bought into — but the players must do their bit too.
Establish a midfield that works
For the majority of Gerrard’s reign, Villa did not have a midfield capable of controlling games.
Deep-lying midfielder Boubacar Kamara’s summer arrival was seen as the answer to those problems but it still was not quite clicking even before his injury in September.
The France international is bound to feature heavily under Emery after recovering ahead of schedule and returning to training this week.
But who is selected around him could be key. McGinn and Jacob Ramsey were favourites under Gerrard but both were immediately dropped by caretaker boss Aaron Danks, with their tendencies to burst forward often leaving Villa outnumbered.
Emery has favoured a 4-2-3-1 for much of his managerial career. Among the current options, Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz looks the best bet alongside Kamara.
Allow attacking stars to thrive
Villa’s forward line cost more than £100million to assemble but they are currently the joint-third lowest scorers in the Premier League.
Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Philippe Coutinho have all had their moments in a claret and blue shirt, but moments of them thriving together as a unit are few and far between.
While Emery is not a manager who looks to blitz teams going forward, there are plenty of attacking players who have thrived under his stewardship.
Arnaut Danjuma was the key beneficiary at Villarreal, with the former Bournemouth winger one of the stars of the Yellow Submarine’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last term.
The talent is certainly there to have a similar effect at Villa but two previous managers have now tried and failed to get them working in unison thus far.
Respect the cups
After two consecutive lower mid-table finishes, Villa fans are desperate for some excitement again.
And a cup run — something Emery is no stranger to — looks the best way to give them that right now, with the club’s last major trophy coming all the way back in 1996.
With 11 trophies to his name, it is difficult to think of a managerial appointment with a better track record of success in cup competitions than the Basque boss, with his four Europa League triumphs a standout.
While the aim will ultimately be for Emery to have the Villans challenging in that competition, a push in one of the domestic cups could be the perfect way to get their expectant fan base on side early.
Villa face United in the Carabao Cup third round at Old Trafford next Thursday in only his second game, so Emery’s expertise in that area will be quickly put to the test.
