How Aston Villa perform in the next four weeks could shape this club for the next four years – and Unai Emery is producing a masterclass in squad management to ensure they hit their targets.
‘Team first’ has been the mantra at Bodymoor Heath in recent weeks, as Villa have chased goals on three fronts. Now they are down to two: winning a first major trophy since 1996 and earning another crack at the Champions League next season.
With a fully-fit squad to choose from, Emery knows he will have to leave out some important players in key matches, starting with the trip to Manchester City on Tuesday and the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday.
Using the physical data collected across the season by Villa’s analysts, Emery has shown his squad how depth benefits them all. The more players he has, the fresher they are. The fresher they are, the less likely they are to pick up injuries.
Crucially, the more options they have, the more they win. Since the 4-1 defeat by Palace at Selhurst Park on February 25, Villa have won 10 of their 11 matches in all competitions. The only blemish was the 3-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain that ultimately knocked Villa out of the Champions League.
Individual meetings are paramount. Those who have not played as much as they would have liked, such as Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and Amadou Onana, are kept in the loop by Emery to understand his decisions and how they can help the team in the weeks ahead.
Unai Emery is producing a masterclass in squad management to keep Aston Villa pushing
How Villa perform in the next four weeks could shape this club for the next four years
Ollie Watkins was furious to be left out against PSG but scored in the victory over Newcastle
Emery’s chief lieutenants Damian Vidagany and Monchi have a key role to play here. At other clubs, officials remain distant from the squad, often working at the stadium rather than the training ground and vanishing when the going is tough.
Vidagany, the club’s director of football operations, and transfer chief Monchi are the opposite. They spend long hours at Bodymoor Heath, staying close to the players and taking the temperature regularly. Come rain or shine, Vidagany is pitchside on matchdays to offer a congratulatory high five or a consoling hug.
As the man who decides their futures, Emery keeps a certain distance from his players and Vidagany and Monchi can fill those gaps the manager must leave.
After scoring and performing brilliantly against Newcastle, Watkins admitted he was furious to be excluded from the starting XI in both legs against PSG. It is a bold move to take on a boss as powerful as Emery and it remains to be seen how Watkins’ rant plays out in the medium-term but in the here and now, Emery’s methods are working.
Against Newcastle, second-half substitutes Jacob Ramsey and Onana produced an assist and a goal respectively to turn a narrow lead into a comfortable victory. Indeed, there was a huge difference between the level of Villa’s subs and those of Newcastle, who had Anthony Gordon as their only real game-changer on the bench.
‘We are increasing our level – it is clear,’ said Emery. ‘When I arrived here, it was my objective to play more matches in the season – in Europe, in the domestic cup competitions.
‘In the past we have had problems because some players were injured and others were not at the level we needed.
‘I perform at my best as a coach when I have two players per position, more or less. Now, we are in this position and it is the squad that is creating our momentum, not just the 11 players. Against Newcastle, it was the first time this season I had to leave players out of the squad when they were fit to play.’
It is a bold move to take on a boss as powerful as Emery and it remains to be seen how Watkins’ rant plays out in the medium-term but in the here and now, Emery’s methods are working
Against Newcastle, substitutes Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana (pictured scoring a screamer) produced an assist and a goal respectively to turn a narrow lead into a big win
Anyone who saw them on Saturday would believe it: Emery and Villa are going nowhere
After Newcastle won the Carabao Cup, these clubs could walk off with both domestic trophies this season. Yet the financial rewards for clubs qualifying for the Champions League are so much greater than those who do not, that both would gladly swap a trophy for a guaranteed top-five finish.
Though both clubs have wealthy owners, neither is a Champions League regular: this season was Villa’s first time in Europe’s main club competition, while Newcastle have been in the main draw three times.
Qualifying this season would be momentous. Not only would it give the clubs greater room for manoeuvre in the transfer market and – in Villa’s case – help manage a very high wage bill, it would convince potential targets that they belong among Europe’s elite.
It is no surprise that Norwegian midfielder Sverre Nypan, one of the most promising teenagers in Europe, may choose Villa over Arsenal when he leaves Rosenborg this summer. Another year in the Champions League may persuade players like Barcelona forward Ferran Torres that Villa are the real deal.
Anyone who saw them on Saturday would believe it. The message to the so-called ‘big six’ is clear: Emery and Villa are going nowhere.
