While there were impressive performances across the team in Aston Villa’s win over Burnley, a new tactical solution emerged for Unai Emery too.
It’s fair to say that Matty Cash’s last attempt to play in a more advanced role on our right side didn’t work out as desired, with Emery forced to tweak his plans at half-time in a 1-1 draw with Wolves last season.
Sign up for the Talk Villa newsletter, a free weekly Villa round-up delivered straight to you!
That’s not to say that the 26-year-old Polish international can’t play that position though given his previous experience in doing so at Nottingham Forest, but it hadn’t been experimented with again until pre-season earlier this summer, and it’s clear that Emery’s influence and a lot of hard work has resulted in a big improvement.
With Emiliano Buendia set to miss most, if not all, of this season due to injury, it has forced the Villa boss into a change as John McGinn has moved to the left to fill that void, thus opening up a spot on the opposite side with Leon Bailey being the preferred option so far this season.
However, Villa need multiple options in every position to try and compete on multiple fronts, and while we have alternatives in the squad, it was Cash who pushed up the pitch with the ever-impressive Ezri Konsa slotting in at right-back at Turf Moor on Sunday.
The result was Cash scoring a decisive brace as he helped us to a 3-1 win, scoring his first goals for Villa since May 2022, having gone all of last season without getting on the scoresheet.
The finishes were excellent, but beyond the goals, his ability to get into dangerous positions, the timing of his runs, his link-up play with the likes of Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo as well as his energy and tenacity to get up and down that flank, all showed that he can provide a crucial new dynamic to our attacking play.
Admittedly, it is only one game and consistency will be key. Nevertheless, Cash has the attributes to play that role effectively, and It’s an important boost for Villa as we continue to show our tactical versatility with the players in the current squad.
“I’m delighted, firstly, to get the three points, I think this is a really tough place to come,” Cash told VillaTV. “The manager spoke before the game and gave us a game plan, and it’s crazy because whatever the manager says, he knows how the game is going to go before. He does that all the time – he’s incredible.
“Today I was playing in a different position to what I’m used to, and I’m buzzing with a brace. I like playing advanced because I know I can create, use my legs, get in and around it and support the forward players.
“I know I can finish and I get in those positions quite often in training. In the first game, I missed a good chance and that’s stayed with me a bit.
“When I get in those positions, I know I can do it. I just had to keep my composure and hit it in.”
Given our commanding lead in our Europa Conference League play-off round tie against Hibernian after winning 5-0 in the first leg, Emery will no doubt rotate and rest key individuals on Thursday night in what is expected to be a much-changed Villa line-up.
However, with a trip to Liverpool ahead on Sunday, Cash has certainly staked his claim to keep his spot in the side ahead of Bailey, thus also allowing Emery to go with Konsa at right-back and Diego Carlos to partner Pau Torres in the middle.
There was an impressive balance and solidity about Villa on Sunday, and with Cash offering a two-way presence with his ability in both phases of the game, it’s another string to Emery’s bow and gives Villa a more settled and solid feel.