Unai Emery Interview: Jhon Duran Exit means Aston Villa to reshape attacks with emphasis on ‘Restore Talents’ | Football News

In the week when Aston Villa confirmed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, they also sold their top scorer. Jhon Duran’s departure will be a disappointment for some. The challenge for Unai Emery is to make sure the changes make villa stronger.

Handling the twin tests from the Premier League and Europe has been a theme of the season. They go to Wolves on Saturday after the height of the victory over Celtic on Wednesday knowing that they have not won after a European game since September.

But the last few weeks, when Diego Carlos and Emiliano Buendia have also left the building, has included the extra distraction of the transfer window. How is the man expected to control all these moving parts that manage the countless demands?

“Always, in football, it’s a busy time,” Emery says Sky Sports. “Even when you rest, even when you’re on vacation, our minds always think something around football, around the team, around the players, about the goals we can meet.”

Another constant topic in the campaign has been how to accommodate Duran with Ollie Watkins in the Villa team. It was a conundrum that Emery was never able to solve. Their last game together, for half an hour in Monaco, was not a success.

Talking on the club’s training ground as the screens play Sky Sports News Tell out of interest in Joao Felix, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford, Emery explains his plans for Life Post-Duran. Don’t expect him to try to replace the Colombian striker as for the like.

“We are in a new way,” he insists. “I practice how we can play with Donyell Malen. The club works (on players) to join us, but now we now have players in the troop ready to play, ready to be versatile and to play in different positions .

The paint, a signature of 21 million. Pounds from Borussia Dortmund, debuted on the right wing from the bench to West Ham, but Emery thinks he can use him as an attacker if necessary. It might be a better solution. Players who can cover Watkins but also play with him.

“Ollie has always been consistent and usually he can play because he is a very strong player, physically too, playing 90 minutes in a number of matches. But of course we need a plan B if he is not available for 90 minutes or to play some matches.

“But we have players in the troop with this opportunity. Donyell Malen and Morgan Rogers played as an attacker. Of course we see the last days of the transfer window if we can sign an striker an attacker with the opportunity to be versatile in striker third.”

Versatility has been important for late. Against West Ham, an injury to Tyrone Mings Lucas Digne demanded to play as a Provisional Center-back. Against Celtic, Boubacar Kamara played there with Matty Cash’s early exit, forcing Lamare Bogarde to right -back.

“The players we have, I am very proud of how they react in different circumstances with the level we need to achieve. We pulled at home against West him but we responded very well to Celtic last Wednesday and the answer came quickly.

“The most important thing is that they do not respond to but before when we need them how they are prepared to do it. This is what I am most proud of. I can feel that the players are always open to To help and support all the decision that I have to take.

Getting more from players is what Emery does. It is worth reminding that nine about the starting lineup that beat Celtic was in the club when he arrived in October 2022, when Villa weakened in the lower six of the Premier League table. He improves the players.

He also fixes them and prefers to lure the best out of a talent that had not been maximized than taking someone with a lower ceiling. This is something Monchi, Villa’s President of Football Operations, is referred to when addressing the interest in Joao Felix and Asensio.

‘Restoring of Talents’

He put Monchi’s comments on Emery, where he called him best to “restore talents,” he replies: “We worked in Sevilla for four years together. He talks about two players they don’t play in their club now consistently, Asensio and Joao Felix.

“They are potential players, maybe we can add, but we have other players waiting for our list.” The same could of course be said of Rashford. “If some of them come, this is my challenge, try to get the best of them and try to be protagonists with them.

“But I’m positive at the process, the demand we face with the players we have. As a team we also have John McGinn back from an injury. Jacob Ramsey too, hopefully we can get Ramsey Consistency in the next month, like He did not have last year.

“Really, this is my motivation, how we can cope with both the player we have and how we can do as well as the goal we have in front of us.” The next goal? It’s simple. Put Europe on the back of their minds and beat wolves on Saturday.

“After playing in Europe, the motivation we need to play in the Premier League must be the same. We only need to rest, get good sleep, restore energy and then play. This is how we want to build Our team, our mentality as players, as a team and as a club.

“Of course you have to enjoy it too. To play different competitions that match every few days. We focus on wolves. It means a lot to the supporters. We will try to get our best performance collectively, individually, try to compete and try to win.

“Each match is a challenge. Now the most important is against Wolves. My interest in winning is the same as the Champions League. Even more in the Premier League because it is through the Premier League that we will achieve our goals”

Watch Wolves vs Aston Villa Live on Sky Sports Premier League from 17:00; Kick-off 17:30