With Aston Villa continuing to impress so far this season, one of the fundamental aspects of our good form has been the developing synergy between Unai Emery and his players from a tactical perspective.
While that process of course started last season and there have been clear signs of it for some time, such is the meticulous level of detail and high demands from the Villa boss, it was never going to be possible for the players to master his instructions quickly.
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That’s not to say they have now done that as there is still clear areas of improvement and that will always be the case, but it does appear as though the players are now implementing the game-plan more effectively and consistently.
Whether it’s Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara switching positional roles in and out of possession against West Ham Utd on Sunday as the Frenchman would drop deep on the right side as Cash pushed up to stretch the pitch, or John McGinn drifting into central areas to pack the midfield, drag players with him into the middle and create space out wide.
It’s Moussa Diaby stretching defences with his movement to then leave spaces in the middle for the likes of Douglas Luiz to run into and dictate, create and score goals, and it’s Ollie Watkins occupying areas where he can be a real problem and produce big moments like he did to make it 3-1 rather than drifting into parts of the pitch that limit his threat.
These things don’t happen by chance, they happen by design, and Emery is both the artist and conductor who masterminds it all to expose the opposition and maximise the potential of those at his disposal, who continue to improve and develop their respective games individually and collectively.
“We want to build a strong structure and the consequences are then to have an idea, style very clear and being comfortable doing it,” he told the media in his post-West Ham press conference, as per BirminghamLive. “We want to play with good positioning and playing in the same idea. Then, being competitive and respecting them when we need to do it.
“The response has been fantastic and the fans as well, they are understanding our way and our idea. They are being patient and I think the process is going in the right way. Hopefully we can keep it for a long time. It will be very difficult. In the end we won 4-1, but every match they are demanding from us a lot.”
We’ve heard Emery talk about positioning, shape and control a lot since he took charge, and it’s all imperative to the way he wants us to play in a measured, patient possession-based style, that sees us dictate the tempo and slowly break teams down by inviting pressure and playing our way through the lines with a quickened speed as we advance up the pitch.
Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa and Cash were excellent on Sunday in doing that, showcasing technical ability and composure to play our way out of defence and build attacks gradually. It was clear at 2-1 when the game became more stretched and a back-and-forth affair that Emery wasn’t impressed, as he continued to demand more from the eventual Player of the Match in Luiz of all people.
That’s the respect and standard being set though, and while the Villa boss deserves praise for his influence and his ability to provide a winning game-plan, the players are continuing to adapt and improve in how they execute those plans.
Combined with the synergy that’s building with the supporters too, another point that Emery often makes as he emphasises the importance of the fans especially as we go on an 11-game winning streak at home in the Premier League, these factors are pivotal in the strides we’re making this season and our pursuit of success.
