In what was a surprise to pretty much nobody, Aston Villa have seen a significant improvement in fortunes on the pitch since Spanish boss Unai Emery took the reins at Villa Park this season, with six wins out of a possible 13 in the Premier League seeing them climb to 11th in the league, level on points with big-spenders Chelsea.
The new manager bounce coupled with the fact Emery is one of the most respected managers in football today has made the atmosphere around the club do a complete 180 in recent times after Steven Gerrard’s ill-fated tenure ended with him being sacked before he’d even got back on the bus following a demoralising defeat away at Fulham back in October.
And whilst one would think the best manager in the club’s modern history arriving to the club would be great for everybody, as you’ll learn below not everybody was a winner (sorry, Hot Chocolate).
Winner: John Mcginn
Conan Doherty from the Villa podcast speculated (much to the chagrin of his brother Liam), that when the Scottish international buzzed all his hair off a few months back, that we would see a return to form of a ‘leaner, meaner’ John Mcginn.
However it appears a change in personnel in the dug out above anything else has given Meatball John the impetus to play his best football. Villa’s most recent win against Everton where Mcginn played in a number 10 role, pressing and harrying the Toffees’ backline reconfirmed the view that he is much better when higher up the pitch, on the front foot and using his running power (and infamous arse) to break up opposition play.
Loser: Lucas Digne
Digne arrived at Villa Park under the Gerrard regime with a large burden of expectation that he has still yet to live up to. A hefty price tag (£24m) coupled with a pedigree from his time at Barcelona meant Villa fans expected to see a palpable improvement in the left back position after Matt Targett was sent on loan to Newcastle United.
However it didn’t take long for Emery himself to sign another player in his position, Alex Moreno, with the Villa boss clearly not convinced by Digne’s performances on the pitch. The Frenchman has failed to impress at Villa Park since his arrival in a stint that has been marred by injuries and a lack of consistency. His exclusion from France’s 2022 World Cup squad was a tell-tale sign of how much his stock has dwindled in recent times.
Winner: Douglas Luiz
In what was a bonified sliding doors moment, Villa nearly lost Douglas Luiz in the summer transfer window after it was reported ex-manager Gerrard was willing to let him leave the club for Arsenal. Villa’s hierarchy upstairs reportedly put a stop to a decision which now in hindsight seemed obvious, seeing as the Brazilian has been one of Villa’s most consistent performers this season. The arrival of Boubacar Kamara (who, like Emery has surprised no one with how good he has been) has allowed the Brazilian international to flourish in the middle of the park and the win over Spurs recently was evidence that the two of them can control games against supposed ‘higher calibre’ opposition.
Loser: Emi Martinez
Despite the unforgettable year Martinez has had, there’s no denying Unai Emery’s arrival at Villa Park (and the departure of goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler) has caused friction between the pair. With rumoured mumblings of discontent raging between the two for weeks now, Martinez’s decision to go up for a late Villa corner against Arsenal last week which resulted in them conceding a goal (albeit an inconsequential one) was called out by Emery in his post match interview, further cementing the idea that the two aren’t gelling well together.
For all of Martinez’s praise for his outgoing personality and adept skill at ‘s***housery’, it appears as though Emery prefers his goalkeepers to be a little more calm and measured so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the World Cup winner shown the door come this summer.
