In the week that Aston Villa confirmed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, they also sold their top scorer. The departure of Jhon Duran will be a disappointment for some. The challenge for Unai Emery is to ensure that the changes make Villa stronger.
Dealing with the twin tests of the Premier League and Europe has been a theme of the season. They go to Wolves on Saturday after the height of that victory over Celtic on Wednesday, knowing that they have not won since September after a European competition.
But in recent weeks, in which Diego Carlos and Emiliano Buendia have also left the building, have included the extra distraction from the transfer window. How is the man expected to deal with all these moving parts with the countless requirements?
“Always, in football it is a busy time,” Emery tells Sky Sports. “Even if you rest, even when you are on vacation, our mind always thinks something around football, around the team, around the players, around the objectives with which we can be confronted.”
Another constant subject of the campaign is how Duran is to house in the Villa team next to Ollie Watkins. It was a mystery that Emery could never solve. Their last game together, for half an hour in Monaco, was not a success.
Speaking at the club's training field, while the screens playing Sky Sports News, telling interest in Joao Felix, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford, Emery explains his plans for life after Duran. Don't expect him to try to replace the Colombian striker like for Like.
“We are in a new way,” he holds full. “I am practicing how we can play with Donyell Malen. The club works [on players] To participate with us, but now we now have players in the team ready to play, ready to be versatile and play in different positions. “
Malen, a signature of £ 21 million from Borussia Dortmund, debuted on the right wing of the bank against West Ham, but Emery believes that he can use him as a striker if necessary. It might be a better solution. Players who can cover Watkins but also play with him.
“Ollie has always been consistent and usually he can play because he is a very strong player, physically too, plays 90 minutes in a row. But of course we must have one plan B in case he is not available for 90 minutes or for some matches to play.
“But we have players in the team with this possibility. Donyell Malen and Morgan Rogers have played as a striker. Of course we look at the last days of the transfer window, if we can sign a striker with the opportunity to be versatile in the attacking third.
Versatility has been essential lately. Against West Ham, an injury required Tyrone Mings Lucas Digne to play as an improvised center-back. Against Celtic, Boubacar Kamara played there with Matty Cash's early exit who forced Lamare Bogarde to the right.
“The players we have, I am very proud of how they respond in different circumstances with the level that we have to reach. We went home to West Ham, but we responded very well to Celtic last Wednesday and the answer came quickly.
“The most important thing is that they do not respond afterwards, but rather, when we need them, how they are willing to do it. This is what I am most proud of. I can feel that the players are always open to help and To support any decision I have to make. “
Getting more from players is what Emery does. It is worth reminding that nine of the starting line-up that Celtic defeated were in the club when he arrived in October 2022, with Villa Winwijnt in the lower six of the Premier League table. He improves players.
He also repairs them and prefers to persuade the best of a talent that was not maximized than taking someone with a lower ceiling. This is something Monchi, the president of Villa, to which is referred to when tackling the interest in Joao Felix and Asensio.
'Restore talents'
Placing Monchi's comments, in which he called him the best in 'recovering talents', he replies: “We have worked together in Sevilla for four years. He talks about two players, they are now not playing consistently in their club, Asensio and Joao Felix . “
“They are potential players, maybe we can add, but we have other players waiting for our list.” The same can of course be said of Rashford. “When some of them come, this is my challenge, try to get the best of it and try to be protagonists.
“But I am positive about the process, the question we are confronted with with the players we have. As a team we have John McGinn back from injury. Jacob Ramsey too, we hopefully can get Ramsey the consistency for the following month as he did Don't have last year.
“Really, this is my motivation, no matter how we can manage the player we have and how we can manage, also the goal we have for us.” The next goal? Well, that's easy. Put Europe in mind and defeat wolves on Saturday.
“After playing in Europe, the motivation we have to play in the Premier League should be the same. We just have to rest, get good sleep, restore energy and then play. This is how we want to build our team, Our mentality as players, as a team and as a club.
“Of course you also have to enjoy it. Several matches, every few days of competitions. We focus on wolves. It means a lot for the supporters. We will try to get our best versions collectively, try to compete and try to win.
“Every match is a challenge. Now the most important is against Wolves. My interest in winning is the same as the Champions League. Even more in the Premier League because it is through the Premier League that we will achieve our objectives.”
View Wolves vs Aston Villa Live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5 pm; kick -off 5.30 pm
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