Unai Emery looked ahead to the challenges of a campaign with plenty of changes at Aston Villa.
The new club record signing is Switzerland international Johan Manzambi, who moved from Freiburg last month. Joao Gomes gives the midfield more Premier League experience, while Matteo Ruggeri replaces Lucas Digne as a left back in the squad. Alejandro Garnacho has joined on loan from Chelsea, and Aaron wan-Bissaka was recruited on loan from relegated West Ham.
‘It’s the year we are changing more than normal’
Emery has admitted that the Villans are undergoing a more transitional phase in their personnel at the moment, but he hopes that the group can still sustain the competitive standards of the last four years.
“Football is changing a lot. Sometimes less, sometimes more, but overall, changing a lot. The only issue (that) is not changing, is the supporters. The supporters from Aston Villa, they are going to be there always, and they are the most important.
“Then, we are the professionals – coaches, staff and players, even the owners – and we must be so, so respectful with the supporters. We must try to show our best as a professional, for me, for the players, as well the owners, their commitment is a huge commitment they have.
“I am feeling so, so responsible in everything we are doing, and I know I will need energy, I will need, again, enthusiasm, I will need positivity, and I will need to work, a lot. Maybe, it’s the year we are changing more than normal, and I am excited because we are doing (an) intelligent (transfer) market.
“Of course, we know where we are, and we know what we want to do again for the next year, and this is the priority, and this is the motivation I have.
“Now we have other players and we’re going to try and do the same way with them like we did with other players. Now it’s João Gomes, it’s Johan Manzambi, it’s Matteo Ruggeri. We want one centre-back more to replace Konsa, but we have a young centre-back, Modou Kéba Cissé, working with us in pre-season. He’s a young player with potential.
“This is the way we are trying to work. We are building the team again. The challenge we have is a huge challenge, like every year at the beginning of the season. We can remember how we were at the beginning of last season.”
