The Athletic: Unai Emery will add an ‘element of surprise’ to Aston Villa
Unai Emery enjoyed his first official training session with Aston Villa on Wednesday and the Spaniard’s drills will add an “element of surprise”, according to Gregg Evans.
Emery’s era at Aston Villa is officially underway, with the Spaniard taking training at Bodymoor Heath on Wednesday after resolving Visa issues earlier in the week.
The former Villarreal and Arsenal boss is tasked with turning Villa’s season around and making them European contenders in the long term, and The Athletic’s Evans believes his training drills will help lay the foundations.
“Emery has training drills that will change the way Villa press opponents,” wrote Evans via The Athletic.
“He goes into great detail with individuals so they know patterns of play, specific movements and even finer details like how their bodies should be shaped when they receive the ball.
“His best-performing teams over the years — Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal — all carried an element of surprise as they found ways to compete as the underdogs.”
Clear identity
While Villa did enjoy some brief success under Steven Gerrard, the one huge missing factor in his side was a clear identity and style of play.
Gerrard’s side often weren’t sure whether to dominate the ball, press high up the pitch or drop back and defend deep. The game plan was flexible, but perhaps too flexible.
Emery will change that. The Spaniard has developed a style of play that he has successfully implemented at every club he’s been to. While that sounds simplistic at first, it also means that Emery knows exactly how to get his teachings across to his players.
That will take time, and Villa won’t instantly improve under Emery. But with clear guidance and constant coaching, improvements will come over time.
The World Cup break is an ideal time for Emery to get with the squad and indicate exactly what he wants from his players. Until Villa return in late December, don’t expect too much too soon from the side.
In other Aston Villa news, Alan Hutton believes a League Cup run will be massive for Aston Villa