VILLa aRE aLIvE aND cLIcKING!
Emery keyboard king as Potter gets the push
ASTON VILLA’S team bus had barely begun its journey to Birmingham on Saturday night when obsessive tactician Unai Emery reached into his bag and pulled out his laptop.
As his players began to unwind and reflect upon another fine away victory, their conversations will have been interrupted by the frantic clicking of their manager’s keyboard.
“Proud of this team, proud of the whole Villa family. Thanks for your support from the stands in London or from home. But no time to relax, really focused on Tuesday’s match. We don’t want to stop. We want more,” a buoyant Emery wrote on Instagram — posting an image of his mobile makeshift office.
Analysts
Accompanied by one of his video analysts, notepads and refreshments, the Spaniard had already begun constructing his game plan for tomorrow’s trip to Leicester.
On the basis of the instant improvements Emery has made since replacing Steven Gerrard, most Premier League clubs would be lucky to have a head coach of Emery’s quality.
Not least Chelsea, who were outfought and outperformed by Villa in just about every department at Stamford Bridge as the hosts plunged back into their seemingly never-ending crisis.
Graham Potter’s Blues struggled under his unconvincing leadership — which ended in his sacking last night after less than seven months in charge— while Villa are now starting to look like a side that must be taken seriously.
Only Premier League leaders Arsenal and reigning champions Manchester City have accumulated more points than the Villans since Emery sealed his return to English football and now their European dream is alive.
While Potter struggled to gel his star-studded squad of individuals, the innovative Emery appears to have shown Chelsea exactly what they’re missing after moulding a savvy side capable of churning out results.
Believe
“When the manager came in he spoke to me about a few different positions he thought I could play and one of them was upfront believe it or not,” captain fantastic John McGinn had confessed prior to his side’s memorable trip to London.
And if the Scotsman’s second-half strike was anything to go by, there is no reason to doubt Emery’s judgement.
“It’s been a long time coming,” McGinn said of his first goal of the season for his club.
“We’re running hard, we’re working hard, we’re sticking together as a team.
“And even in those bad moments, you don’t really feel anyone is going to let you down. And that’s an amazing feeling.
“We’re on a brilliant run and you just never know what can happen.”
Praising McGinn’s display, Emery added: “His power and mentality is amazing. I can use him in many different positions on the pitch.
“It’s not a surprise because knew he was a good player before (joining Villa) but when I arrived here, there were some doubts. I think now, I don’t have any doubts with him.”
Yet it’s not just McGinn, there have been improvements across the board.
Matches
Villa have netted in all 15 of their Premier League matches under Emery as red-hot forward Ollie Watkins became the club’s first player to net in five consecutive away matches. Unused Chelsea substitute Carney Chukwuemeka, who was advised that his first-team prospects would stand in greater stead at Stamford Bridge, must have wondered what he has walked away from at Villa. Emery’s side are now a force to be reckoned with after leapfrogging the Blues and climbing to ninth.