Unai Emery’s Villa transformation

National World - LocalTV

Now a team that do not settle for anything less than a winning mentality.

Transcript

00:00Charlie, let's look at Aston Villa and in terms of their season.

00:06Yes, we've mentioned it's been a pretty meteoric rise from an IM race side ever so slowly.

00:11Last season was fantastic.

00:12This season, they've pressed on even more.

00:15They've done so well reaching the latter stages of the FA Cup, the Champions League as well.

00:20In terms of the standout players at Villa, we've mentioned Morgan Rodgers, Jacob Ramsey.

00:26They've sort of built a fantastic bit of a standout season, a breakthrough campaign, if you will.

00:32And then there's been quality throughout the side.

00:34Who's stood out for you in terms of understanding this system?

00:38We obviously mentioned John McGinn as well.

00:40He's been so good in terms of his rise from where he was to the Champions League under an IM race.

00:45It's been pretty incredible.

00:47Who stands out as a player of the season, possibly, to get that pick for Aston Villa?

00:52Yeah, I think there are so many that you could put into the conversation for player of the season for Villa.

00:57And so many that have been crucial to Emery's system, the way he wants to operate.

01:01He's got quite a rigid structure.

01:03He wants his attacking midfielders and his wingers to kind of tuck in and form a diamond at times in midfield.

01:08He wants one striker who can get in beyond the lines, but someone to support Justin behind.

01:13We've seen Morgan Rodgers, the man at the number 10 role, when Marco Asensio was signed.

01:18Then Rodgers moved out to the right, performing just as well in that position.

01:22Versatility being so important for so many of these players.

01:25John McGinn, as you've mentioned, Jacob Ramsey, even Marcus Rashford to an extent,

01:29going out on the left wing and then out front when Emery wants him to.

01:32But the standout for me is someone who's not really moved positions too much,

01:35but has just stayed in that midfield double pivot throughout the entire season.

01:39It's Uri Tielemans.

01:40We've seen even when fixture congestion has got crazy, quite literally crazy at times,

01:46you've had games every three or four days.

01:49Tielemans hasn't missed a beat.

01:50He's hardly even substituted off towards the end of games.

01:54Emery knows how important he is to his system.

01:56Whether it's alongside Bubikar Kamara or alongside Amadou Onana, John McGinn, the likes,

02:02Tielemans is the one player that's always in there.

02:04You could argue as well Rodgers, he's hardly missed a beat either.

02:07But Tielemans, just the way that he picks up the ball, he knows exactly where his teammates are.

02:12Even when there's a high press, three or four players coming on to him,

02:15he knows exactly how to turn away from the danger.

02:18He can find a defence splitting pass.

02:19Three games in a row with an assist.

02:21It's just incredible, really, what he's done.

02:24And obviously being relegated with Leicester City, you think, is he going to hit that potential?

02:28He certainly has.

02:29It took him a bit of time to adjust under Emery, but this season he's really come into his own.

02:33And in my opinion, one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, full stop.

02:37Yeah, obviously he had that potential at Leicester.

02:40We saw how good he could be on his day.

02:42You mentioned there the slow start to his Villa career.

02:45What do you sort of think was the main factors in turning that, turning a corner

02:48and maybe Emery installing a bit of belief in him, a bit of confidence in him

02:53because he can be a world beater on his day.

02:56And he's proven it this season.

02:57His longevity and his fitness rate has been second to none.

03:00I think it's just the patience, really, because we saw he was a little bit raw at Leicester at times.

03:05Maybe his decision-making was a bit rash.

03:08Emery's just helped him to adapt and calm down a little bit, maybe not get so frustrated.

03:13I think as well, not being in a relegation battle helps.

03:15Having higher quality players in and around him helps as well.

03:19But he's just thrived whenever players have come at him, the way he turns on the ball.

03:23It was a bit like John McGinn, actually.

03:25He wasn't quite that player.

03:27He was amazing, of course, at Villa, a cult hero, one of the fan favourites, the club captain.

03:31But the way he moves on the ball has changed completely since Emery comes in.

03:35I think there's something there with the individual instructions that's really helped the midfielders

03:39because you see so many teams with a high press nowadays.

03:42Villa don't seem as susceptible to it as others.

03:45And I think it really is down to the individual instructions from Emery.

03:48Tielemann's really benefiting from it.

03:50His fitness, as you say, has certainly got better.

03:52I have no idea how he can sustain his levels playing so, so often, but he does.

03:57And it's been mega impressive.

04:00Yeah, just on the summer, I mean, we've seen Villa's rise go from dealing with, you know,

04:05a lot of championship clubs to suddenly they are dealing with the elite giants of Europe

04:10in terms of transfers, you know, Manchester United's, Chelsea's, PSG's,

04:14obviously in that incredible January window.

04:16So, they're sort of a bit of a crossroads, Villa, because you feel they are so close

04:20to touching the very, very top echelons of the Premier League.

04:23And obviously, they've gone far enough in the Champions League as well.

04:27They want to make sure they get over the line in the FA Cup as well.

04:30But in terms of summer, how do you feel they go about their business now?

04:33Because, you know, they're going to want to continue to fight near the very, very top

04:37of where they can be under an IM ray.

04:39And, you know, every summer and every transfer window can be really important now.

04:45Yeah, I think a lot of Villa fans will want to see the club investing in the summer

04:50to make sure they've got that depth.

04:51I think the depth right now is the best it's been in a very long time.

04:55That's been aided by the fact that there aren't any injuries really anymore as well.

04:59But I don't think they'll be able to spend as much as they'll want to in the summer.

05:02If anything, they're going to have to sell players,

05:04which is definitely not what supporters will want to hear.

05:06Just trying to stay in line with the profit and sustainability rules,

05:10with financial fair play, it doesn't feel fair at all.

05:14They say it's financial fair play, but it doesn't feel fair when the likes of

05:17Manchester City and Chelsea and Man United are able to spend a ridiculous amount of money.

05:21And then Villa, even though they're at their highest heights in such a long time,

05:25in decades, they're having to sell academy products just to meet those margins.

05:30I think, unfortunately, this summer we will see a key player leave,

05:33whether it be Oli Watkins, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rodgers.

05:36They need to make money somehow, and then they can reinvest some of it.

05:40But it is a shame. It really is.

05:41But I do think they'll be clever.

05:43We've seen how shrewd they can be with their business,

05:44potentially rash for coming in permanently.

05:47Asensio's available for a cut price fee because he's going into his last 12 months

05:50of his PSG contract.

05:52There is business to be done.

05:53It's just frustrating the manner in which it will have to be carried out.

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