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After six key players left and 11 new ones arrived in a tumultuous summer, Aston Villa 2.0 is slowly starting to take shape.
Unai Emery will know his rebuilt team are some way from the level they reached to lift the Europa League and finish fourth in the Premier League last season but he can see the signs of an intriguing new project.
Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson have the makings of a promising understanding. Joao Gomes and Boubacar Kamara are dovetailing nicely in central midfield. Zion Suzuki looks an excellent replacement for Emi Martinez in goal.
Emery called the three-week international break ‘crazy’ and he will be hugely frustrated that just as his team are finding their stride, he must wave goodbye to a significant number of them.
Villa take on Brentford when the Premier League resumes next month and Saturday’s 3-2 win at Tottenham means they should have a spring in their step.
Unai Emery offered a glimpse of Aston Villa 2.0 during his side's win over Tottenham
Glimpse of a post-Emery world
During Emery’s first four seasons at Villa, he established such control at the club that it became tempting to wonder if they could live without him.
He hired multiple backroom staff, improved virtually every player and had a significant control over transfers. It has been a throwback to the days of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, or Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Emery remains the key man at Villa Park and when he does depart, it will still leave a huge gap. Yet few coaches would turn down the chance to work with players like Jackson, Manzambi, Gomes, Suzuki and Ibrahim Mbaye. With their recruitment this summer, it feels like Villa were trying to deliver for today while also laying down the foundations for the future.
Of the six players Villa paid fees for last summer, Gomes is the eldest and he does not turn 26 until February. Jackson turned 25 only in June, and the average age of the other six players is 21.5.
Manzambi and Mbaye, in particular, have huge scope for improvement while Suzuki could be the club’s goalkeeper for at least the next decade. Too often in the Emery era, the recruitment has looked hurried. This summer, under difficult circumstances, at least they followed a plan.
Villa's recruitment means that a post-Emery world is not as scary as first thought
Defensive wobbles
Of all the players who left Villa last summer, Ezri Konsa is the one they miss the most.
Jackson looks like a viable replacement for Ollie Watkins, who was starting to decline. If Manzambi fulfils his potential, he can ensure Morgan Rogers is not missed too much. Suzuki’s performances are already making the memory of Emi Martinez fade.
But they don’t have a new Konsa yet. Taylor Harwood-Bellis was nominally the replacement for the England man but is not yet trusted to start the important games. Victor Lindelof has done well but he is no Konsa.
That is why Villa have kept only one clean sheet this season and have already let in 15 in eight matches in all competitions. If Harwood-Bellis is not the answer, do not be surprised to see Villa move again for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez in January, if he can prove his fitness. Until they fix that, every team will feel they have a chance against Emery’s men.
Victor Lindelof has done well but Villa are struggling to replace Ezri Konsa
McGinn is the man
Whether he is on the left, the right, deep in midfield or as a No10, John McGinn never lets Emery down. Somehow the Scotland man continues to be overlooked when awards season rolls around – he is never even a contender, let alone a potential winner.
Name a player more important to their team than McGinn. Not only does he deliver on the pitch, he sets the tempo off it, too. With so many new faces at Villa this term, McGinn’s role has become even more important and he is clearly relishing it.
Working for Emery is tough. The hours are long. Training sessions are intense and – at times – a little dull. There are long meetings in front of the video at least twice a week. These players belong to a generation famed for its short attention span and life with Emery can be challenging.
When they see the captain step up every day and take it in his stride, it becomes easier to follow suit. McGinn joined Villa for just £2.75m in 2018. The statue they commission for him after retirement will probably cost at least that.
