Jack Grealish believes one former Aston Villa manager is on the same level as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
Current manager Unai Emery relieved some of the growing pressure at Villa Park with a resounding 3-1 win against Fulham last time out, his first league victory thus far.
TBR Football understands Aston Villa are sticking behind Emery despite a disastrous start to the league campaign – Villa have won one out of their opening six fixtures.
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However, the tide is turning positively in the West Midlands, and the same can be said of former captain Grealish, who has enjoyed a resurgence on loan at Everton.
Jack Grealish of Everton celebrates the second goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
The 29-year-old had become somewhat of a forgotten figure at Man City, but now, as he rediscovers his best form for the Blues, he has reflected on his time with one former Villa boss who he believes is one of the few to get the best out of him.
Jack Grealish puts Tim Sherwood on par with Pep Guardiola
When speaking to Tim Sherwood, who helped him overcome his early struggles at Villa Park, Grealish admitted that the former manager gave him the confidence to perform at his best.
“I say to everyone, even to this day, it’s you (Sherwood) and maybe one or two others, I’ve played under a lot of managers now, for England, two at Notts County, loads at Villa, but yourself and one or two others were the best for me personally to make me want to go and perform.”
Sherwood lasted only seven months at Aston Villa but guided the club to their first FA Cup final since 2000, which resulted in a 4-0 loss against Arsenal.
Despite his short-lived reign, the pair still hold fond memories of their time spent together as Sherwood lauded Grealish’s form for Everton.
Grealish endured backlash during the 2014/15 campaign for his off-the-pitch antics, with Sherwood publicly condemning his behaviour and showing his talisman the right path.
Sherwood’s guidance would help Grealish become the Premier League’s first £100 million player when he made the switch to the Etihad in 2021, playing a crucial role in their 2022/23 treble-winning campaign.
Aston Villa considered re-signing Grealish this summer, but the Englishman’s lucrative wages, combined with the club’s ongoing PSR concerns, made a move to bring the midfielder back to Villa Park unfeasible.
Unai Emery can overturn his fortunes at Aston Villa
Following the 1-0 win in the Europa League opener against Bologna, Emery is now up and running at Villa Park with a consecutive victory against Fulham.
Indeed, the Villans are now out of the relegation zone in the Premier League and will have the opportunity to extend their perfect record in Europe with a trip to Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord.
Aston Villa are the favourites to win the Europa League, and victories over Feyenoord and Burnley in the upcoming matches would put Emery in an ideal position for the pivotal away clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers have underwhelmed throughout the opening fixtures, but with the pair registering their first goal contributions this season last time out, Emery will undoubtedly be leaning on his stars to hit the ground running and help resurrect a torrid opening few weeks.