Unai Emery ‘among the greats’ already after what he has done at Aston Villa
Unai Emery has taken Aston Villa on a journey since his arrival as manager back in 2022.
This season, the Villans have made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the FA Cup, making a trophy a real possibility.
Furthermore, sitting just three points away from a top-five finish, there is still plenty to play for in the West Midlands.
Ally McCoist offers Emery verdict
Emery has received plenty of plaudits for the work he has done with Aston Villa and rightly so.
Not only has the boss taken his side up the table to a point where they can compete at their highest levels but he has reformed the players in the team too.
The likes of Morgan Rogers have absolutely flourished under Emery’s management while Marcus Rashford has potentially saved his career by making the move to the West Midlands.
Although those in Claret and Blue will be focusing on the games that lie ahead, there must be some consideration of Emery as one of, if not the, manager of the season.
It seems as though Ally McCoist is in favour of that sentiment too, saying live on talkSPORT (31 March, 6:13 am): “He’s absolutely different level. Take that period at Arsenal aside, I would have to say I think he’s one of the great modern coaches. I really, really do. He goes into that category, that discussion.
“Again, one of the important things about these coaches, players want to play for them. They get their ideas across, and you can see they create a spirit in that group, that team of players that the players are happy, and it’s just a different level.”
Aston Villa looking towards a trophy win
Although they may not have had the hardest game in the quarter-finals, Villa put in an excellent performance against Preston North End on Sunday (30 March) to see themselves progress.
There has been plenty of debate over what the most important thing is for Emery’s side this season, with some arguing that the revenue a European finish will bring outweighs the importance of a trophy.
| Competition | Stage |
| Premier League | 9th, three points off 5th |
| Champions League | Quarter-final v PSG |
| FA Cup | Semi-final v Crystal Palace |
However, given how far his side has made it in both cup competitions, surely the focus has to be on winning something and bringing a trophy back to Villa Park.
The manager deserves the praise he has received, but if he wants to etch his name in history, surely the way to do so is by picking up the silverware.
Emery has proven to be unflappable up until now and you would imagine that composure will last until the end of the season as his side aims to deliver the maximum amount of success.
At this stage, there is no reason why Villa can’t be looking towards both a trophy and a top-five finish. If the momentum can keep being built upon, under Emery it feels like the side can achieve plenty.