Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has stressed the need for the players to rest and recover after our 1-0 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
Although the Spanish tactician never uses it as an excuse, our injury setbacks and subsequent lack of depth are having an adverse impact on our performances and results as we edge towards the end of the season.
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The Villa players looked low on energy and struggled in our loss this weekend, and with limited options off the bench, it looks as though we’re running out of stream as the season draws to a close having already played 50+ games across all competitions.
With a 4-2 deficit to overturn in our Europa Conference League semi-final tie with Olympiacos and likely at least one more win required to secure fourth place and Champions League football for next season, the squad will have to dig deep and produce a big finish somehow.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi conceded himself that it was clear that the Villa players were tired and this wasn’t our usual performance level, and while Emery echoed those thoughts, he continues to refuse to use it as an excuse.
“We have to rest after a tough week,” he told VillaTV. “Someone in the club told me last week, ‘It was a fantastic week, the best week I’ve had at Aston Villa,’ after we won in Arsenal and in the penalty shootout against Lille.
“This week has been more difficult, a tough week. Now it’s important to rest and recover some players, to recover some energy and go to Athens and then Villa Park trying to enjoy the moment we have in front [of us].
“We’re motivated, we’re deserving to enjoy this moment with our supporters and our fans. Our supporters were supporting us here, but we lost.
“We competed well but it wasn’t enough today to get some points. Even when we were in minute 75, I was thinking maybe this draw is fantastic for us because today we are not at full energy.
“The goalkeeper saved the penalty and he played fantastic today, Robin Olsen. It’s not easy to be a substitute for Emi Martínez, the best goalkeeper in the world, but he’s always ready to play, he’s always positive, he’s always respectful and always practicing ready to help the team.
“Today, I was very happy with him. Even when he saved the penalty, the second action was bad luck. We tried to draw but now we’re going to try and keep our advantage in the table and get the really amazing objective we have of Champions League.”
“We have to try to understand our progress and our progression. Always I’m trying to learn with the players, with the club and try to use my experiences with them.
“We’re doing a very good season, enjoying Europe for the first time in a long time, we’re in a semi-final, sometimes we’re making some mistakes and losing.
“We have to think about the circumstances we have. Today we’re a little disappointed, a little bit frustrated but we have to keep balance, try to rest and be strong on Thursday, next Monday and against Crystal Palace.”
As always, the Villa boss was a class act in his assessment of the game and with context, as he’s trying to build a winning mentality and culture, which includes a no-excuse way of thinking.
Villa are still in a great position after a memorable campaign to date, and hopefully we’re able to achieve what we set out to reach this year in the next fortnight.
Further, Robin Olsen was certainly worthy of being singled out for praise after his excellent performance as he continues to deputise for the injured Emiliano Martinez, and it’s just unfortunate that Villa were unable to hold out for a point on Sunday, albeit it was arguably more than we deserved.
Time will tell if we’re able to regroup and recharge to put in a big performance in Greece and keep our hopes of silverware alive, but with Liverpool visiting Villa Park next Monday night, a win in our final home game of the season could be the golden ticket to a seat at Europe’s top table.
