Unai Emery has become the third managerial appointment at Aston Villa under the ownership of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, following Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard into the Villa Park hot seat.
Villa’s new boss is the first Spaniard to hold the position, and only the fifth non-British or Irish head coach in the club’s history. The 50-year-old arrives with a stellar reputation and a wealth of experience.
Emery has many strengths which have contributed to his outstanding career to date, but there are three particular attributes which will be key in pushing his new team up the Premier League table.
Winning pedigree
In Emery, Villa have attained a genuinely world class football coach with experience in three major European leagues, including the Premier League, and a long track record of success.
With four Europa League titles on his CV, and managerial stops at PSG, Arsenal, Sevilla and Valencia, it can be argued there has never been an appointment at Aston Villa who arrived with more bona fides.
During his 18 years in management, Emery has never had a winning percentage below 46 percent. The last time Villa had a winning percentage that high in a Premier League season was 1995/96.
At Villarreal, the Spaniard achieved 7th place finishes while also winning the club’s first major honour; the 2021 Europa League, and taking ‘The Yellow Submarine’ to the Champions League semi-finals, beating Juventus and Bayern Munich along the way. His net spend at Villarreal was just £36m.
Emery’s time at Arsenal is often ridiculed, but his tally of 70 Premier League points during his only full season in charge has yet to be bettered by Mikel Arteta, who has been heavily backed in the transfer market and unlike Emery, did not have the added burden of succeeding Arsene Wenger.
Guillem Balague told Birmingham Live: “Every single day he pushes everyone to be the best they can be. You see him work and what you see is elite”. The presence of a consistently successful manager can only help the atmosphere and culture at Bodymoor Heath.
Tactical flexibility
Like every coach, Emery has principles and ideas regarding how he wants his team to play, but he is also flexible in how he goes about getting results.
For example, Emery’s Villarreal side most commonly set out in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-2-2. At Arsenal and Sevilla, Emery mainly opted for a 4-2-3-1, whereas at PSG a 4-3-3 was generally preferred.
Emery’s system is fluid and versatile. He adapts to the players at his disposal rather than shoehorning them into a rigid setup which they may not be suited for.
Villa have a wealth of talented players with lots of different strengths, particularly in the midfield and forward areas.
Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Leander Dendoncker, Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Sanson, Emiliano Buendia, Philippe Coutinho, Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings. How on earth does one choose who plays?
Previous managers have struggled with that question, but this level of depth should give Emery the tools to adapt his gameplan each week based on the opponent.
In-game adjustments
Setting up the starting 11 is only half the battle for a manager, and making in-game adjustments can be the difference between winning and losing. This is another area where Emery has excelled.
Emery was famous for making early substitutions at Arsenal, especially at half time. He made a change at half time in around 30 percent of his first 60 matches.
The introduced players often went on to have an impact by providing a goal or assist. In April of 2019, near the end of his first season at Arsenal, his side had gained 17 points due to his substitutions.
Good managers are able to admit when they have got something wrong, and are brave enough to make an early change if they think it can help produce a better result. With five substitutions at his disposal, expect Emery to be active if something isn’t going according to plan.
Unai Emery seems like a perfect fit for Aston Villa, a club which sits outside the elite but is aiming to crash the party and regularly compete for European football.
While some may have concerns over his style of play, his Villarreal and Arsenal teams ranked near the top of the league in goals scored, expected goals and possession. His high-intensity football should be a hit at Villa Park.
Emery’s appointment appears to have restored hope to a Villa fanbase which had become apathetic towards the tail end of Gerrard’s tenure, with supporters now believing brighter days are ahead for their underachieving team.
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