Unai Emery has walked into a very exciting project at Aston Villa after Steven Gerrard was handed his P45.
The Spaniard has some excellent players at Villa Park, such as Jacob Ramsey, Danny Ings, Leon Bailey and Lucas Digne, while he also has owners in Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens who will back him in the market.
However – as is the case at any club – Emery also has to try and keep his fringe players happy, such as Morgan Sanson.
We aren’t sure how the 51-year-old is dealing with squad morale at Bodymoor Heath, but he has already made a conscious effort to make those fringe players feel more involved on matchday.
Unai Emery makes changes at Aston Villa
Well, after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Manchester United, one supporter noticed a change in the post-match routine.
Under Gerrard, those who were among the substitutes would do a simple warm-down jog at the end of games.
However, Emery has designed a far more intense session after games at Villa Park.
As you can see, the Spaniard has organised mini-games for his fringe players, while the goalkeeping department are also put through their paces with the coaches.
Unai Emery clearly determined to succeed at Aston Villa
The Premier League is a seriously fierce competition nowadays, and any marginal gain that can be made, needs to be.
Emery is clearly aware of that.
Few people would see much value in making a post-match warm-down so intense, although the Villa boss clearly thinks it is worth doing.
In our view, it will certainly make those on the fringes of the squad feel more valued.
His methods have already worked a treat as the Villans hammered Manchester United on Sunday, but only time will tell if he enjoys a better experience in the Midlands than he did in north London with Arsenal.
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