Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has lifted the lid on the club’s dramatic turnaround in results
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: Getty Images)
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Unai Emery’s expression of anger, coupled with an urgent review of Aston Villa’s early-season struggles, was what dragged the club back on course.
Villa had failed to win any of their opening six matches across all competitions before going on to win six of their next seven ahead of facing Liverpool on Saturday night.
When Matty Cash scored Villa’s first league goal at the Stadium of Light in the 67th minute six weeks ago, it looked for all the world as though Emery’s side would claim their first win at the sixth attempt.
However, their 10-man opponents hit back with an equaliser - a goal that prompted Emery to blast his players. He criticised their attitude, labelling the defending “lazy” and saying his team lacked an identity on the pitch.
That proved to be the tipping point for Villa. To their credit, Emery’s players responded in the perfect way, winning their next five games in all competitions.
Even after suffering a shock defeat to Go Ahead Eagles, Villa bounced back to beat Manchester City at Villa Park last Sunday.
Like their weekend opponents Liverpool, their form has transformed dramatically over the past month.
“I told them with my face! I was so, so worried, and the players as well,” Emery explained about how he turned the club’s form around. “The solution, usually I did in my career as a coach, was to firstly analyse with the coaches, and then with the players.
“Every analysis we do about how we have to improve things, is through the analysis in the videos and then on the field.
“Then, speaking individually and collectively with the group. Sometimes I need to speak individually with some players to explain to them exactly our demands, and exactly their task. Mixing the demands and the task they have to do.
“Collectively, we try to get good meetings speaking about everything. After a long time, with my experience, I am telling the players that we can’t waste time now.
“I don’t know about your feelings, but my feelings are clear that I want to use my time in football to try to be a protagonist in everything I am doing and we are doing. The players, they have to follow the same message I have.
“Don’t waste time. It means to work every day and get focus 100 per cent in each moment, competition and match we are going to play.
“Even in the training sessions being serious, and try to train to improve things that we are analysing to do. Through it, more or less, we are increasing our level getting better. My face is getting better as well!
“The responsibility and maturity I want to set is a high standard.”
Asked if Villa’s standards had slipped, Emery replied: “Yes, but even how we tell them good morning. In everything we have to show our energy and our positivity, our wishes to train and improve.
“When we finish the training session on the field and then through the video, even after when we meet to have lunch together, show our positivity or our smile. I think it is something more than showing it on the field in 90 minutes.
“It is as well being together, or being here in the press conference, I have to transmit my positivity and my wishes to play tomorrow as best as possible.
“I have to transmit our consistency to our supporters and capacity to play, competing at the level we want.”
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