Spanish trio gives region’s clubs a chance of turning the corner
THIS week, I will look at the managers now in charge of the big five West Midlands clubs – three of them newly appointed. I will start with the fresh arrivals. All three Spaniards with deserved big reputations.
Unai Emery has signed what is thought to be the longest ever manager’s contract Aston Villa have ever made.
It is a near five-year deal believed to be around £5 million each year. Villa paid Villarreal £5.2 million in compensation.
In return, the highly-decorated Emery has to improve on recent seasons. That will not be difficult. The owners and chief executive however expect more including European football.
The 51-year-old says he is dreaming of landing a trophy for Villa who have not lifted one since 1996!
The Carabao Cup and a trip to Wembley for the club’s big following would be a start.
On Thursday, Villa go to Old Trafford to play Manchester United again, this time in the third round.
Then there are the fourth and fifth rounds before a two-legged semifinal. The final will be at Wembley on February 26.
I hope he plays his strongest team in a tie to be shown live on Sky Sports. Emery has already won 11 trophies with different clubs and a record four Europa Leagues.
He got off to a terrific start on Sunday with a fine 3-1 home win over Manchester United at Villa Park.
He gave the side a vital ingredient that is rarely mentioned in sport – confidence!
You often hear ‘lack of confidence’ but Emery’s pre-match talk was for the team to be confident.
Do not judge Emery on his Arsenal sacking. He had a difficult ending to his 18 months after his first season taking the club to fifth including a 22-match unbeaten run. His dismissal came in September 2019.
This time round, I am sure he will do well. This is a good appointment.
Villa are live on the same channel again on Sunday (2pm) in the Premier League at Brighton. Three wins on the trot would have that big Villa support really purring.
Emery has managed in four different countries with nine clubs.
Only Leeds boss Jesse Marsch has managed in more countries – five. But Marsch has had five clubs, while in the Premier League Emery has had the most clubs, beating Spurs’ Antonio Conte who has had eight.
Spaniard number two is Julen Lopetegui, another Europa League winner with plenty of experience at
both international and club level. Wolves are said to have been after him for six years.
He is due to watch the home game with Arsenal on Saturday. He officially started yesterday but his first game will be after the World Cup. Wolves have a good squad on paper and Lopetegui likes attacking football with pace and playing from the back. Expect a big improvement in the New Year. Spaniard number three is Carlos Corberan, who is 39. His first match just after his arrival was lost (2-0 at home to Sheffield United), but once he got his feet under the table he has supervised two 1-0 wins – at home to
Blackpool and away to high-flying QPR. He has another home match on Saturday with Stoke City.
He says he is looking for positive momentum and so far so good.
Albion are making progress but they are still in the bottom three. Corberan is hoping that will change after that remaining game before the World Cup shutdown. They resume on December 12 at Sunderland.
Corberan, another manager who is non-stop action in his area during a match, was assistant to Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds before taking Huddersfield to a losing Championship play-off final against Nottingham Forest.
Ironically, he joined the Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ other club Olympiakos in Athens but was dismissed after two months after winning just two games in 11.
He believes the Baggies will play his style of football. I hope he is right! So far, so good too.
Meanwhile, this column has continually banged on about the wonderful job Coventry City manager Mark Robins has done.
Now Saturday’s 1-0 win at Watford means the Sky Blues have set a club record of five away games without conceding a goal.
They have two more home games before the break – Wigan tonight before playing QPR on Saturday.
I have written so much about Robins and rightly so.
But the problems he has faced with injuries, budgets, pitch conditions catch-up, and now uncertainty about the Arena make his results even more remarkable.
Another English manager John Eustace, a former Sky Blues player from Solihull, is doing a fine job at Birmingham.
His young loan players are really good, plus the veteran goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Blues are now 11th and have two home games – Swansea tonight and then Sunderland live on Sky Sports on Friday.
They have only lost two of their last 12 games.
I return in the Sunday Mercury with IMPACT.
The problems Robins has faced – and now uncertainty about the Arena make his results even more remarkable.