Sat in the Director’s Club at Villa Park back in November, Unai Emery declared his first aim at Aston Villa was to win a trophy.
Of course that is a natural thing for a new manager at any club to state on their first meeting with the media but Emery has a fascination when it comes to silverware, and most specifically cups.
As Jürgen Klopp once declared, the Basque is ‘the king of the cups.’ Speaking ahead of his Liverpool side facing Villarreal in the Champions League he added: “They have probably the most successful cup competition manager in world football so he knows what he is doing.”
Since Villa last lifted a trophy in 1996 Emery has won nine major honours and only one of those has been a league title, which came with Paris Saint Germain in 2017/18.
While he has struggled in the leagues that he has managed in he has mastered the art of going far in cup competitions and it has enabled him to win a record four Europa League trophies.
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His pedigree is what attracted the Villa hierarchy to the 51-year-old and their supporters, who have been starved of success for years, will be hoping he can bring some of his magic touch to their cup runs this season.
“I like cup competitions in Spain, France and here in England,” Emery said. “The FA Cup is a very good opportunity to try to do something. On Sunday we are going to prepare the match with the objective to win.”
Emery’s cup fascination came after a talk with the former Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido in 2013 when the Basque manager first took charge of the club. Having come from Valencia where the primary objective was to secure Champions League football he arrived at Sevilla with a similar mindset. Only to have his thinking changed.
“When I was here at Valencia the primary objective was to get a Champions League place,” Emery said back in 2019 when he was Arsenal boss. ‘But when I went to Sevilla, the president José María Del Nido said: ‘Have you been in a final?’ I said no. He said: ‘You will see what that is like’.
“At Sevilla, that was what motivated us; what mobilised the people. That feeling of being about to play in a final. For Sevilla, that was bigger than getting a Champions League place.”
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Since that chat Emery went on to win three consecutive Europa League titles and has taken that mentality with him to his subsequent clubs.
So, what’s the secret?
Emery laughed when he was asked that question ahead of facing League Two side Stevenage at Villa Park on Sunday but despite not wanting to divulge his secrets it is clear that part of it comes down to his meticulous managerial style.
The Spaniard once watched Manchester United 17 times in preparation for facing them in the Europa League to ensure his team came out on top and over one-legged cup ties that is the sort of preparation that has led to his continued success.
While he has become unstuck at different points over a long domestic season he is able to navigate the cup games through intense tactical planning which have seen his sides overcome teams that on paper they would struggle to beat.
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For the past six seasons Villa have failed to get past the third round of the competition with disappointing defeats against Swansea City and Peterborough United in amongst some heavy beatings from the top six.
It is a record that needs fixing and they have a more amenable opponent in Stevenage than they have drawn in the past couple of years when they have had to play Manchester United and Liverpool at this stage.
While some managers take these competitions as opportunities to switch their XI to focus on the league this represents a real change of success for Villa and an opportunity for Emery to tick off his main aim at the first time of asking.
There will be changes but given the Basque’s respect and love for cup competitions do not expect wholesale switches throughout the team.
“Yes, but I want to win,” Emery replied when asked if there would be changes on Sunday. “I’m going to use players thinking how we can play, how we can control the match, good positioning, trying to mix experienced players with the qualities, the skills, how we can play like I want to create and build this team.”
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With Villa sitting 11th in the league and with the strength of the teams ahead of them in the battle for a European place their best chance of success this season comes in the FA Cup. It is a chance for Emery to achieve his two main objectives in one go by delivering a trophy and getting his team into Europe.
And with the ‘king of the cups’ in charge there will be hope he can bring his magic touch to Villa Park to end the 27 year wait for silverware.
