Aston Villa wrapped up pre-season this weekend, and after three wins and four defeats, Unai Emery has plenty to analyse, both positive and negative.
A 2-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund drew our preparations for the new campaign to a close, and it was certainly another tough test as we prepare for a challenging season both domestically and in Europe.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Dortmund: Top talent continues to impress despite defeat to end pre-season
Opinion will be split in terms of assessing our summer, as although it’s important not to take too much away from these games given their ultimate purpose, a confidence-building pre-season is always ideal.
Nevertheless, Villa have encountered their difficulties, and hopefully it has all contributed to getting us to a level that will help us make a positive start to the new Premier League season next weekend.
Martinez and Konsa provide huge double boost
Having had an extended break this summer after their international exploits, it was a vital boost to see both Emiliano Martinez and Ezri Konsa get valuable minutes to allow them to build their match fitness and sharpness back up.
While rejoining the rest of the group for training is in itself crucial, it’s obviously not the same as actually getting on the pitch and reintegrating with the defensive unit, and so that will hopefully be an important run-out for them to help them settle back in.
It was a shame that Ollie Watkins couldn’t join them as he’ll now have to play catch-up to start the new season, but the Villa striker will hopefully still be available for selection at West Ham next Saturday.
Work still to do against a high press
While we dealt with it effectively at times, the defeat to Dortmund emphasised our need to improve against a high press still. Youri Tielemans was impressive on occasion as he turned out of trouble and set us off in attack, but too often we were hemmed in and forced into either a mistake or surrendering possession.
Pau Torres was very clearly targeted by the Dortmund players as he is fundamental to the way we play out from the back, and so it’s hoped that this was a very useful exercise in learning how to combat that and adapt better and quicker in games.
Villa want to play a patient, probing style of football that allows us to control proceedings and dominate the ball, and we will face a similar high-energy press throughout the season. In turn, it’s critical that we find solutions when it’s getting the better of us.
Tielemans shows signs of playing pivotal role
Expanding on the point above, Tielemans has shown real promise in the last two games in that midfield pivot alongside his compatriot Amadou Onana.
It’s effectively the same role as Douglas Luiz last season, in that he’s tasked with being our orchestrator in possession, to set the tempo and break the lines to allow our creative and attacking players to exploit space in the final third.
This was a good experience for the players to learn and adapt when it doesn’t work as desired, and although he’ll face competition from others over the course of the campaign, it looks like Tielemans will have a fundamental role for Emery as his controller in midfield.
Nedeljkovic ends pre-season with another impressive display
One of the most consistent positives of our pre-season has been the form and impact of Kosta Nedeljkovic. Matty Cash was absent in Germany, and that gave the talented youngster another opportunity to impress Emery.
He didn’t disappoint as he produced another mature and positive performance, showcasing composed and effective defensive quality and positioning, while using the ball efficiently too as his decision-making is excellent for such a young player.
It’s unclear if Cash will be available next weekend, but even if he is, it could be argued that Nedeljkovic has played his way into Emery’s starting XI already as he’s certainly shown he’s capable of performing at this level.
Pre-season grade
As seen in the poll below, opinion is split, as expected, on how Villa fans have assessed our pre-season performances and results this summer.
Few have been left impressed, but the majority feel that although it’s been average, we shouldn’t look too deep into it given it’s pre-season, while a significant group have concerns after what they’ve seen.
The most important test and result will be next Saturday, as if our pre-season has served its purpose, we’ll produce a solid performance and a get a positive result at West Ham. Few will remember this summer schedule in the coming weeks and months, but it’s hoped that we’re ready to take a big step up and improve once the competitive football starts. Pre-season mark: B-
Your thoughts on Villa’s pre-season this summer? #avfc #UTV 🟣🔵
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) August 10, 2024