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Aston Villa Football Club announced the sacking of Steven Gerrard as manager last week. First-team coach Aaron Danks took control of the team while they searched for a new permanent manager.
Danks eased the urgency the club may have felt on Sunday. In his first match in charge, Danks led Aston Villa to a 4-0 demolition job of Brentford FC in front of the club's home supporters at Villa Park.
Danny Ings lead the way with two goals, while Leon Bailey and former Brentford marksman Ollie Watkins added the rest. The players played with an energy and inspiration not seen in a while.
Despite the performance, Aston Villa still wanted to appoint a new manager soon. And they did just that. The club announced Monday that Unai Emery will officially take over on November 1 once his work permit formalities are dealt with.
“We've achieved success together, we've lived great moments and, regardless of the results, I've felt more loved and supported than ever. I've enjoyed this journey to the maximum. However, part of every journey is its end,” Emery said, translated from a tweet he made after the news broke.
Emery was one of the best candidates for the job as soon as the vacancy was made available. With the track record he brings, it isn't hard to see why, either.
Emery's track record
Emery began his managerial career at Lorca Deportiva in 2004 after an injury ended his playing career. He secured his first major side with Spanish club Valencia in 2008, where he managed for four years.
After a brief tenure at Spartak Moscow in 2012, Emery was named the manager of Sevilla. During his three seasons with Los Rojiblancos, the 50-year-old manager won three UEFA Europa League titles. He led the club to two fifth-place finishes in La Liga.
Paris Saint-Germain appointed Emery in June 2016 as their new manager. His first season in European football saw his PSG side famously lost 6-1 in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, eliminating the club from the competition.
After being knocked out of the Champions League Round of 16 again the next season, Emery left the club. He took over Arsenal in 2018. Despite a blazing 22-match unbeaten run to begin the season, the Gunnars missed out on Champions League qualification.
However, Emery still found success in European competition. He led Arsenal to their first European final since 2005-06. The Gunnars fell to fellow Premier League side Chelsea in the 2018-19 Europa League Final.
Emery then went to Villarreal and rebuilt his reputation. His crowning achievements have come within the last two seasons. He won the 2020-21 Europa League in a thrilling match against Manchester United.
He followed that up with a dream run in last season's Champions League. Villarreal made it to the semifinals of the competition last season, defeating footballing giants Juventus and Bayern Munich along the way.
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Why he's the right choice
Simply put, Emery has found some level of success wherever he goes. Whether it be reaching a European final, or winning it outright, the 50-year-old brings experience and success with him to the biggest club in the Midlands.
Tactically, Emery fits what Aston Villa and their supporters are looking for. He is very fluid with his formations, never getting stuck in on one particular formation during his managerial days.
More recently, the Spaniard has favored a 4-4-2 formation and relied on the counter-attack during matches. However, he has used a 4-2-3-1 formation as well at times.
Aston Villa supporters have long hoped for a 4-2-3-1 formation, given the club's current setup. Danks used the formation in the club's 4-0 thrashing of Brentford on Sunday.
Under Emery, the formation will bring a focus that suits many of the club's current players. Leander Dendoncker, for example, could thrive under the 50-year-old manager given his physical presence in the midfield.
Most importantly, Emery's tactical set up could solve one of the team's glaring issues: the attack. While Emery does prefer to rely on the counter-attack, he has shown the ability to play more of a possession-based game.
In any event, Aston Villa's front three of Bailey, Watkins, and Ings would significantly benefit from Emery's style of play. Ings benefits from one of the forward players dropping deep to help link play. While Bailey and Watkins benefit from running into space from a wide position to help create for the front line.
Emery represents an intention from Aston Villa's ownership group to contend for European football once again. He brings the winning instinct desired and required to truly achieve that goal.
Emery's previous Premier League experience didn't go so well. However, he can learn from those mistakes and take this Villa side to the heights of European glory.
