Unai Emery has highlighted the role of several senior figures in the development of Aston Villa.
·‘Our experienced players are very important’
John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia got the ball rolling as the Villans kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 victory over Club Brugge. The result marked their first win of the new season and it signalled how the remnants of the ‘old Villa’ will be key to help the team rejuvenate.
“Now it’s very, very important how they are performing in the training sessions, and then try to, in these consequences, show it as well on the field, playing in different competitions we are – now, especially Premier League and Champions League on Tuesday, and next week, Carabao Cup.
“So, how we are trying to build again the team is my priority now, and we are working collectively, we are working individually, we are analysing each match, we are analysing as well individually how they are doing.
“We are showing them as well how is our structure, how is our idea, our plan, how we are more or less trying to build, comparing with the last three years we did, with different players, but the idea and the plan is not changing, and the players, they are involving in it.
“Our experienced players, Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Matty Cash, Ian Maatsen, they are very important, they are giving the teammates we are joining.
“And this is very important, because to adapt them in our structure is not easy, and they must feel comfortable, they must feel confident to do it.
“And experienced players, especially the captain McGinn, fantastic, Tyrone fantastic, Pau, Kamara, Emiliano Buendia, they are really involved in it, and it’s something very important for us, and I appreciate it a lot, and of course we are speaking about it inside.”