The Talk Villa Newsletter: #5
Villa bounce back in style, Zaniolo arrives and we're all set for the start of our European campaign...
Rampant Villa hit Everton for four - the talking points
What a difference a week makes, am I right? From the deflation of last Saturday evening to the delight of keeping a clean sheet, picking up three points and regaining goal difference parity, Sunday at Villa Park was a much more enjoyable experience.
Unai Emery would have been looking for a positive reaction, and that’s exactly what he got from his players as we produced an excellent performance against a hapless Everton side, who look in an eerily similar place as we were in 2016.
Emery gets key decisions right
With no Mings available, there was much talk about the options at his disposal given the versatility in our defensive unit.
The Villa boss ultimately went for a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne, and that was a well-balanced and disciplined backline in both phases.
In midfield, Leon Bailey came under fire after his performance at Newcastle, but Emery continued to show faith in him and was rewarded. From a more general perspective, he got his tactical set-up and system spot on too as we controlled and dominated the game in the way we wanted.
Pau Torres impresses in full debut
Having been thrown in at the deep end last weekend on Tyneside, this was a big day for the Spanish international as he looks to integrate himself into the defence and provide a reliable, calming and leading presence at the back.
Aside from one instance where he got caught out in behind by his former Villarreal teammate Arnaut Danjuma, he was composed and in control both in and out of possession for the most part, and it was a real positive to see him impress.
Villa have historically been poor without Mings having won just one of 12 league games without him dating back to 2019 prior to Sunday, but it looks as though we have a player with the experience and pedigree needed to fill that void.
McGinn sets the tone
The Villa skipper will be the first to admit he wasn’t at his best against Newcastle, and invariably when he is on form and setting the tone, the rest of the team follows.
He was back to his influential best here with his imposing and physical play on the ball and work ethic off it, and he capped it off with a long-awaited goal in front of the Holte End too.
While there is perhaps still an argument that his best position is on the right side of our midfield, he set the standard here on the left and hopefully we’ll see him follow this up with another big performance on his return to Hibernian in midweek.
Bailey produces much-needed decisive impact
Bailey came under fire last weekend and in the previous newsletter, as he struggled once again to have a positive influence on our play to go along with his defensive deficiencies.
Having been backed by Emery again on Sunday, the pressure was on him to deliver a performance to repay that faith, and it was good to see him make a decisive impact.
Following his assist for McGinn, his header was key in Ollie Watkins winning our penalty for the second, before he got on the scoresheet himself with our third. The challenge for him now though is to back this up and be more consistent.
Duran gets his first Villa goal
Just a minute after coming on, Jhon Duran finally registered his first goal for the club as he showed great desire to win possession high up the pitch before producing a composed finish.
That will hopefully be a major boost for him now as he has a key role to play this season in providing competition and depth for Watkins, and so we need him to make an impact when involved.
With Emery’s guidance and ability to improve players, there is little doubt that the 19-year-old will benefit and develop. This will hopefully be the first of many goals from him, but it’s a moment that he certainly won’t forget.
Meanwhile, Emery became the first Villa boss to register eight consecutive Premier League home wins, but as ever, the Spaniard showed his class after the victory with his Instagram post below as he dedicated the result to Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings and the fans.
🎶🇮🇹 Here we gooo, oh, Nicolò Zaniolooo
Having just about managed to get Status Quo’s ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’ out of my head for the first time in days - with a minor tweak for our new Italian arrival - I apologise in advance if I pass the bug on.
That said, Villa did unveil our fourth summer signing at the weekend, with Zaniolo arriving on an initial loan deal from Galatasaray, with an option to buy included in the agreement and it’s suggested that the move could cost around €27m in total if we trigger that clause, and the add-ons are activated.
I spoke with the Editor of Football Italia, Lorenzo Bettoni, to get some expert insight on the 24-year-old, and to answer some of the more pressing questions on the Italian international.
What can Villa fans expect from Zaniolo?
“Villa fans can expect a lot of talent, still largely unexpressed. Zaniolo has had good moments in his career but he has to reach the peak, and it’s time to reach the peak at 24. He’s a player who can be deployed in different roles, he’s been playing as an attacking winger, an attacking midfielder, as a centre forward. He has developed his physicality over the years, so he can combine this outstanding physical strength with his technique.”
What is Zaniolo’s character like off the pitch?
“In the past, he did have moments as a trouble-maker. At Galatasaray though, he didn’t cause any trouble and even at Roma, even if he did force his exit at the beginning of the year, he didn’t create much trouble towards Mourinho.
In fact, Mourinho defended Zaniolo until the very end until it was clear that he wanted to leave. He always said that he was a serious professional, he’s a good guy and he showed commitment in every training session. I think that he can adapt, work well under Unai Emery and he has matured enough over the last year or year-and-a-half not to cause any trouble inside the dressing room.”
He’s had trouble with injuries in the past, should that be a concern for Villa fans?
“His fitness could be a slightly bigger concern. He had two big knee injuries in the past, but he was really unlucky. However, he was fit at Galatasaray, he made around 11 appearances in four or five months which is decent. Injuries have a lot to do with luck, and I’m quite sure if Aston Villa decide to sign him for such a big fee, then they would have had guarantees that at least he doesn’t have any structural problems.”
What’s the reaction like in Italy, is it a good move for his ambitions with the national team?
“I think it’s an excellent move for him and the national team because we have a new coach with Luciano Spalletti replacing Roberto Mancini. Zaniolo made his debut under Mancini, he owes a lot to him, he was very close to Mancini. However, he’s one of the best Italian talents out there so I don’t think Spalletti will just drop him.
He will be considered by Spalletti. I think on paper, just based on talent, he’s one of the best strikers that Italy has, so Spalletti will keep a close eye on him and probably now he’s playing in the most competitive league in the world and in European competition too, it will give him chances to show his worth and hopefully return to playing with the national team on a regular basis.”
📰 Villa transfer talk
Lucas Digne is reportedly closing in on a move to OGC Nice, and so the touted signing of Marcos Acuna or an alternative left-back option becomes more of a priority for Villa to fill that possible void.
Aaron Ramsey remains a Villa player for now despite strong suggestions earlier this month that he is set for Burnley.
Jaden Philogene is expected to join Hull City this week in a permanent deal, which will raise eyebrows given his impressive impact over pre-season. However, perhaps with FFP in mind and wanting financial flexibility to continue to strengthen the squad, moving our Academy products on - with buy-back clauses - could be the way to go.
Philippe Coutinho is said to be a target for clubs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and so that would certainly give Villa more room to manoeuvre in this window if he were to depart.
Team news
Alex Moreno is edging ever-closer to a comeback as he shared an update on social media showing him back on the grass at Bodymoor Heath. His recovery schedule put him down as returning in late August or early September, so it’s hoped it’s the former.
There was a double bench boost at the weekend courtesy of Duran and Bertrand Traore, but there’s still a lack of news on Leander Dendoncker and Tim Iroegbunam.
Emery allayed fears over Coutinho after he limped off in visible pain on Sunday, as he suggested that the early signs are that it’s a muscular injury, and so he could be back in around three weeks time.
All eyes on the ‘El McGinnico’
Villa face Hibernian in the first leg of our Europa Conference League play-off round on Wednesday evening, with McGinn returning to his old club.
While we eagerly await non-stop choruses of ‘We’ve got McGinnnn….’ from all corners of the ground, it’s an important night for Villa as we kick-start our European campaign looking to qualify for the group stage of the competition.
We’ll undoubtedly face a key challenge of dealing with the atmosphere and intensity from the home side, but with the quality in our squad, we’ll be confident about having enough to secure a positive result to take back to Villa Park for the second leg.
August 23, 5.45pm KO
Hibernian vs Villa [Live on BBC Scotland & iPlayer]
August 31, 8pm KO
Villa vs Hibernian
Talk Villa Poll
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