Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has spoken of the importance that Douglas Luiz holds in both his current and future plans at the club.
Luiz, 24, has flourished under the Spanish tactician thus far, and his importance in the side is clear given he has started every single Premier League game since Emery took charge last November.
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His role and position have changed though, as he has been given more freedom to play in a more advanced role and to focus on dictating tempo and possession for us, while also putting in a defensive shift in midfield too but not in a deeper-lying position as he was accustomed to earlier in his time with us.
Whether it’s Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn or Leander Dendoncker next to him, Luiz has thrived on that opportunity to express himself more freely, and aside from being influential in our general play, he has added three goals and four assists in 19 league outings under Emery.
As with the team as a whole though, the Villa boss has again stressed his demand for improvement, as although he acknowledged and praised Luiz’s ability and importance in his plans, he is convinced that there is still much more to come from the Brazilian.
“His qualities are necessary for us and for the idea I have to create a team, it’s very important. He’s very important and he has big potential,” Emery told the media, as per VillaTV. “He can progress more. I’m trying every day to support him and to push him to do one more step ahead as a player. He’s doing it and he’s working very well.
“He is taking responsibility on the pitch like I want. We are being demanding of him to do more because he can and he can take steps ahead.
“His qualities are very important for the idea I want to create in this team. I want to get the best of him for us.”
With his technical quality, composure, vision and passing ability, Luiz ticks a number of crucial boxes in terms of successfully helping us play the style of football that Emery wants.
He plays a fundamental role in our ability to control games, on and off the ball, and he has undoubtedly benefitted hugely from the managerial change last year to now firmly establish himself as a pivotal figure in our plans moving forward.
It’s hoped that he can continue to help lead our march towards Europe this season, but beyond that, it’s exciting to see just how far Emery can take his game and how that impacts the team as a whole in becoming more efficient and effective in implementing the identity and style that the Villa boss wants to build.