The past week marked three years of Unai Emery in charge at Aston Villa.
In the modern game, it feels like managerial churn comes thick and fast, with few managers standing the test of time. Three years seems marginal in the grand scheme of things, with Emery still in his adolescence at Villa. However, it feels like a moment to celebrate and reflect on an utterly remarkable and transformational 36 months at the club.
Since his first game in charge at home against Manchester United, a jubilant 3-1 victory, Villa Park has become the fortress that the club so desperately needed. For too many years, fans arrived in B6 with little expectation. Since Emery’s arrival, Villa’s home record has been fierce, including going unbeaten for over a year. He has almost single-handedly raised the bar of what we expect from our football club.
The Spaniard has also coached his team into a tactical machine. Inspired by the likes of Pep Guardiola, Emery’s Villa team at its best is unstoppable – hard-working, aggressive and clinical. He has improved individual players beyond what would have initially been thought possible, with a huge proportion of his squad left over from several previous managers; Steven Gerrard, Dean Smith and even a Scottish skipper inherited from Steve Bruce.
Simply, he gets the best out of his players. A well-respected man, whose reputation as a gentleman and managerial mastermind precedes him.
Wins against Arsenal, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and PSG spring to mind – huge occasions where Villa have shown their mettle on the big stage – but some of my favourite Emery moments have been tactical masterclasses on the road at the likes of Bournemouth or Brighton. These are the results that have granted us three consecutive European seasons – something none of us could have comprehended when Gerrard left in 2022.
A true gift to our football club – here’s to you, Unai Emery.
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