Unai Emery is currently radiating optimism. With seven victories of their last eight games, Aston Villa is the coming team in the Premier League race for Europe. Two more victories and Champions League football can be theirs again next season.
“I am really excited,” Emery tells Sky Sports. Speaking at the club's training field, he is not in the mood for a break. “I don't want a vacation now. I am really full of energy, motivated by how we play now, how we compete.” But this is not about him, he keeps full.
“What is interesting for me is how the supporters and the players now feel about where we are. We were behind Nottingham Forest and behind Chelsea, maybe eight or nine or 10 points behind him.” In fact, the gap 10 was for the forest at the beginning of February.
“But we gradually got better, which reduced that gap. Of course there are still games to play and it's not enough.” But with two more, Villa is above the forest and only from the top five goal balance, with Tottenham and Manchester United.
“I tell the players, we have to enjoy the process, enjoy playing. It's not just about the result at the end. It's about how we perform and how we sometimes struggle. That is also good because those experiences can help us in the future.”
Emery is often in pain to point out the level of competition in the Premier League. When he starts listing the rivals, it goes beyond those currently above them. “I add Tottenham,” he says. “There is West Ham. They played and won in Europe.”
He continues his list. “There is Nottingham Forest. There is Brighton, Fulham and Brentford. They are teams who are consistent, always fight to beat you. I am here two and a half years and in my time with Aston Villa those teams were always with us.”
His message is that achieving Champions League qualification in back-to-back seasons “whole, very difficult” is not only Villa is there but also improved. It is not just their recent form, it is the feeling of a club in the elevator, a team reinforcement.
Their campaign is complicated by a run deep in the Champions League, closed by the strange goal in nine against Paris Saint-Germain. They went to Wembley in the FA Cup. Nevertheless, they have found a way to keep their push in the Premier League.
Even when they finished fourth last season, they were marking at the end. Villa has not won any of their last six games. “We have become tired,” Emery admits. They were surprising – and convincingly – defeated by Olympiakos in the semi -final of the Conference League.
“We were the favorites. But Olympiakos performed better than we and they were more focused than we at that time.” Villa put their efforts to finish fourth and when they were in the 10th at the beginning of March, every hope seemed to have disappeared a repeat.
“This year has been more difficult. During the competition we sometimes struggled, not consistent. But I think that in February and March, when we recovered some injured players and also added others, we became stronger and felt more confident.”
Brief signs helped when the season is running
Those additions in the middle season transfer window have brought new impulse. Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen arrived at permanent deals, while the controversial credit broken by Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi Emery options have given.
Since then there is no team on average more points per match.
Malen -S situation
Yet it was a test of Emery's management skills. Ollie Watkins from those matches against PSG left no impression on the striker. Malen had to give the head to the frustration of omitted from Villas Champions League team, with the preference of the loan.
“There are rules,” Emery explains. “We had to make the decision in the dressing room, be responsible, be mature, try to be honest with every player and then try to get the best out of it.” It is proof of Emery, and to grind himself that he did that.
“As a manager you sometimes have to understand it face to face, being honest is the best way to get your reaction. Grinding is a very good professional. He is understanding. He has not drawn for six months here. He hopefully drew here for a long time.
“Malen performs fantastic. He plays as a replacement, but wow, this season it has been very important, scoring goals, always with opportunities to score, always helping the team in moments when we need something special, something else.”
Although Emery acknowledges that the conversation was difficult, he laughs at the thought that it is a problem. “The problem is when you don't have enough players to play,” he replies. “This is the problem. We had it, this problem.”
Villa has had to deal with injuries this season, without major defenders, often at the same time. In midfield, Emery was without Boubacar Kamara until October. Amadou Onana has had hamstring problems. Ross Barkley missed three months from January.
“We played many games in a row with John McGinn and Youri Tielemans. They got tired at the minute and sometimes we didn't get our goal because we didn't have enough to subject players for fresh legs, fresh spirits, to help us.
“Now we have that. I want those problems to choose my 11 players. How we are now? I prefer 100 percent, with a mile. It's fantastic because I know that if I need it during the game, I have players on the couch to have an impact.”
Why the depth of the team was the key
Villa actually lost their most impactful replacement of all in Jhon Duran when he made the switch to Saudi Arabia in the winter. The Colombian striker scored what the winning goal turned out to be in three of Villa's first four Premier League matches of the season.
But it is now more of an all -round effort, Emery can rotate to bring more energy into the versions of Villa. In Brighton, Asensio and times both came from the bank to score. In Southampton, all three were the scorers of Villa in that match second half of replacements.
“It is now a good example that I can use with the players when I talk to them in the dressing room about how we were 10 months ago, six months ago, two months ago, compared to how we are now. They understand how important it is, they respect it.
“At the moment everyone is ready to play 90 minutes or 20 minutes. Because we have won many matches with the players who come as a replacement for 20 minutes. Many matches. I can remind the players how often we did it during the season.”
In the course of our conversation, Emery points out that during his career, when he has had the right depth – two players for every position, tactical flexibility – he can achieve his ambitions. Maybe that is why he is so confident.
“I have enough players now. John McGinn and Youri Tielemans are both versatile players. They played many matches together, but sometimes I could choose another player, such as Amadou Onana or Boubacar Kamara, and they would play higher.
“But then there are players such as Marco Asensio, like Jacob Ramsey too.” He discusses the different weapons that Tielemans and Barkley bring to the same position, one with their death, the other with their ball. “Yes, we now have enough players.”
Finish the job now
Exciting times then, and a chance for Villa to take the next step by showing their Dalliance with the Champions League, was not a fleeting one. “We are progressing and playing in Europe for two years. But to be consistent here is my most important challenge,” he says.
That means delivering in the Premier League. “The most important thing for us and for me, and how we can really progress is to be consistent by the Premier League more than 38 games, which means that the points are needed to always be in European positions.
“We try to have a clear identity, try to make contact with our supporters how we play, with our style, our intensity, our skills. This is very important because I think we have to reach the heart of the supporters to get the energy we need.”
He touches the reputation -impact of reaching regular Champions League football. “The brand is increasing.” Thanks to their push in the late season, it is back within reach. It is becoming increasingly clear that Emery believes. “Hopefully we can get it again.”
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