Aston Villa’s President of Football Operations, Monchi, has spoken in depth on a number of key topics having now had time to settle into his role.
Villa confirmed his appointment on June 16, while it was confirmed at the time that he would officially begin his new job at the start of July, and it has certainly been a key period for him since, as he adjusts to his new surroundings.
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While we’ve been busy in the transfer market with the signings of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby, it remains to be seen if we add further reinforcements in the coming weeks, with Monchi strongly hinting that we’re still assessing our options with a view of strengthening the squad where necessary.
Given our desire to not only improve on last season’s seventh-place finish in the Premier League but also to compete for silverware, it will be crucial that we have enough in the squad to cope with the fixture schedule and compete at a high level consistently.
Monchi on Villa transfers stance
“We are active, to give depth to the squad,” he told Marca. “If we pass the Europa Conference League playoff round, we could have up to 55 games this year. We are moving on things so that Unai has the maximum options.”
Widely regarded as one of the best in the business at his job given the work he did at Sevilla for many, many years, his arrival at Villa was an exciting moment not only in terms of what he brings to the club, but what his partnership with Unai Emery could deliver for us moving forward.
Our performances on the pitch have significantly improved since last November, and with the three signings that we’ve made so far this summer, it appears as though our work off the pitch in the transfer market has gone up a level too as we’re attracting and signing players at a higher standard.
In turn, it was fascinating to hear Monchi’s thoughts on how we build ourselves up to be a club capable of challenging in the Premier League for the top spots, as ultimately it’s a process and it’s important that we have the foundation in place to allow us to get to that point rather than trying to run before we can walk.
Monchi on Villa strategy
“Rather than fighting [the ‘big six’], the first thing to do is settle down and build a base from which to start climbing,” he added. “I don’t believe much in increases from one day to the next. That causes big falls. We must prop up and give solidity and guarantees to what has been built. The goal always has to be the maximum possible. The higher we aspire, the higher we can reach. But always with coherent arguments and without selling smoke.
“There are rules to follow and regulations. What we try is to be ambitious from sanity. We are in a club with a greater investment capacity than that of Spanish clubs, but we cannot go crazy. You have to comply with the Premier League and UEFA.”
Monchi also went on to reveal more about his relationship with Emery and Damia Vidagany, and how they like to operate in their pursuit of success at Villa, while also giving his view on how things have gone under the Villa boss since he arrived last year.
Having taken us from a precarious position just above the relegation zone to qualifying for the Europa Conference League in a matter of months, there is a great sense of optimism ahead of Emery’s first full campaign in charge of Villa.
Combined with Monchi’s expertise in helping him making his vision a reality by bringing in players who improve us, it’s hoped that the pair, along with Vidagany, the rest of the coaching staff and playing squad, have what is needed to improve on last season and continue to make significant progress.
Monchi on Emery, influence at Villa
“We don’t have fixed meetings, but we have breakfast together, we eat together, we have offices next to each other. We soak up what Unai needs on a day-to-day basis. He marks the profiles and the style of the player and we give him names and he assesses and we come to the conclusion and sign.
“Unai has influenced the team and the structure of the club with the ambition that he has. The coach likes to manage everything that happens in the first team. That 24-hour thinking about taking care of small details has gotten him into the club. We start with the advantage that it is a club that trusts the work of Unai and the professionals. And that is an advantage. Unlike the Spanish clubs, powerful investors are entering the Premier League but they are used to delegating and controlling and in that we are a privileged club.”
Villa face Valencia in our final pre-season outing on Saturday night, before we wrap up our preparations for our Premier League season opener against Newcastle Utd next weekend.
The hope is that we can make a positive start and continue the good work done over the summer, and it remains to be seen just how much more activity we’ll see on the transfer market both with incomings and outgoings as Emery continues to mould the squad into his own.