Sport
Should Unai Emery be manager of the year?
Unai Emery inherited a flailing project at Aston Villa. Steven Gerrard’s reign was supposed to be defining; the club had been promoted in 2019 and survived under Dean Smith, and the former England midfielder, who had done so well at Rangers, was seen as the big name to establish then as a Premier League, and potentially European force.
Big money was spent and there were flashes of quality from Gerrard’s side. But by October, they were drifting; identity was lacking, results were poor, and with their club languishing in 16th, the fans were revolting. Everything needed a reset, to go back to basics, but with ambition high, a coach with a strong track record was still an absolute must.
Enter Emery. The Spaniard’s reputation in England had taken a huge hit by his time at Arsenal, where in 18 months he still managed fifth place and a Europa League final under the heavy scrutiny of replacing Arsene Wenger as manager after 22 years. He was undermined, completely unfairly, by people mocking his grasp of English. In Spain, though, he was a major success, turning clubs of good standard in Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal into challengers domestically and more pertinently on the European stage.
Getting him into Villa Park was always going to be a coup, as it proved when he departed Villarreal mid-season. Emery had only a year earlier rejected the advances of Newcastle United, fresh from their takeover by a consortium led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Eddie Howe took that job and seems a perfect fit at St James’ Park as the Magpies continue their unlikely assault on the Champions League places, having been winless and seemingly doomed to relegation when he took over.
It is impossible to know whether Emery would have had a similar impact on Tyneside, but what can be measured is his impact at Villa. Only Arsenal and Manchester City, the top two sides in the Premier League, who are gunning for title, have picked up more points than Villa since he arrived. Their 2-0 home win at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday was as routine as they come, but it has propelled them right into the conversation for a top six finish, which has become a real target for the club over the past couple of years.
Villa have now won six games in seven, having drawn the other one. Ollie Watkins is in red-hot form, too. Having scored his 12th goal of the season, the striker has become just the third player to reach double figures in the last three seasons with Harry Kane and Harry Kane. Esteemed company indeed.
But it is Emery’s clear strategic purpose that has made the biggest difference. Villa were drifting badly under Gerrard; it wasn’t clear what he wanted to do, and he struggled to get the best out of his squad. Philippe Coutinho was his marquee signing, but hasn’t had a goal or assist all season; his involvement has been minimal under Emery, who has instead given the stage to Emi Buendía. Perhaps the reason Watkins is thriving has something to do with Danny Ings’ exit to West Ham in January, and Jacob Ramsey is focussed much more on playing further forward now. That is another decision that is really paying off.
Emery has to be a contender for manager of the year. Mikel Arteta is the obvious candidate, but such a turnaround, which has at times gone under the radar, deserves to be recognised.
Next Saturday, Villa and Emery face Newcastle. There is a lot of narrative surrounding the game given his rejection of that job, but he faces Howe and his team, who are looking for a sixth straight win and dreaming of the Champions League. He, of course, is another possible candidate for recognition at the awards, but this game will tell a lot about both sides’ character and mentality.
But Aston Villa finally look like the club they want to be, capable of big things in the future. They’ve found the right man for the job on current evidence; clubs are the top should be very aware.
