It doesn’t take long to find someone who’ll praise Unai Emery for the work he’s done at Aston Villa. Today it’s Sport’s turn in Spain.
They cover the Aston Villa manager today, labeling him ‘the great Villan’ and covering how he has ‘already made history’ at Villa Park.
They say the Spaniard is not just any manager, but a ‘living legend’ who has transformed Aston Villa completely. He’s also turned Villa Park into a ‘formidable stadium’.
Under his leadership they’ve gone from relegation candidates to a team that make the Big Six suffer. The win over Arsenal last weekend was further evidence of that. Emery has turned a ‘mere anecdote into reality’. The work he’s done is ‘truly admirable’.
The stats favour him too. He’s now managed 63 wins in 116 matches, the most wins by any Aston Villa manger in their history. The previous record was 62 in 147, held by John Gregory. Martin O’Neill managed 61 in 147.
He’s doing more than winning, though, at least according to Sport. They say winning isn’t enough, he’s convinced Aston Villa to be patient and commit to a long-term project, remaining loyal when things weren’t going well at the start of the season.
They demonstrated that commitment when hiring him from Villarreal, paying €7m to get him out of his contract with the Spanish side. That now looks like one of the bargains of the century. It’s been nothing but a rise since then.
Now they’re title challengers, among the favourites for the Europa League. Whether they win either, remains to be seen. But according to Sport, whatever happens, ‘Emery will always be an idol in Birmingham’. The €7m paid for him could be the best Aston Villa ever spent.
