Mings, injuries and 'impossible' Villa challenge - inside Unai Emery's Southampton press conference
Unai Emery sat down with the media ahead of Aston Villa's Premier League clash against Southampton at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.
Villa returned to winning ways on Wednesday after beating Brentford and could climb into the top five with a victory over the Saints. Here is every word Emery said in his press conference...
How important was the win over Brentford on Wednesday?
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“For everybody. For the supporters, for the players, for the team, with the work we have, the coaches and everybody, it was very important. We are focusing on the Premier League, the most important competition, and of course to be consistent there is our challenge.
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“We needed to win, and how we did, because I think we played against a team [who were] very competitive, very difficult always. We were 90 minutes being consistent in this game, and now is to be consistent playing matches. Tomorrow, trying to repeat again, more or less the same collective form we showed on Wednesday, is the challenge tomorrow.”
How important is John McGinn?
“Football is going very quick for the players. Their careers are short. Now they can extend their careers because they are more professional maybe than 30 or 40 years ago. They have a lot of people working for them to keep them mentally and physically fine. This is the challenge for them and this is John McGinn.
“He is a very important player for us. And when he is not fit, he started the season a little bit lower than normal, we were struggling a bit. He is a versatile player, and he is very consistent. He is important, and the challenge is to keep this consistency. His versatility is very, very important. The characteristics he has are very important.”
What do you make of Southampton?
“I appreciate a lot some teams, some young coaches, how they are being brave, playing, showing different ways tactically.
“One of them is Russell Martin. For us, it’s a challenge, how we can compete against this team, more or less at the beginning, knowing their capacity to keep the ball possession is one of the best in the Premier League.
“I know with my experiences, if we are not being organised in our press, we can struggle, playing against a team like Southampton. I appreciate a lot how they are playing. It is an example, how they are building up and how they are being successful.
“Last year they played a fantastic season in the Championship, and now they are extending the same idea in the Premier League. They are not getting points like they deserve, because they have not a lot of points, but they deserve more, how they are playing, but they are being very, very brave with the ball.
“I really appreciate them a lot and respect a lot, Russell Martin, the players they have, and their structure tactically.”
Can we get a team news update?
"It is being very difficult because we play matches every three days, even we played Juventus and then Leipzig next week. It is the most difficult challenge we can have.
"Today I don’t know exactly which players are available tomorrow [on Saturday]. Some are doubts, yesterday some had pain and some are tired. We are going to train now this afternoon. I think until tomorrow morning, only then it will be clear who will start the match."
How hard is it to work as much as you want tactically before matches?
“It has been impossible at the moment, because there are players playing a lot of matches, and they are coming with some injuries, some small pains, getting tired, but for me it's not the most important [thing] to try to be consistent with the starting 11 players.
“I want players knowing tactically and performing tactically and individually, with their quality, always getting the level we want. I have to use two players for each position, trying to compete and trying to be ready to play.
“Some players aren’t consistent in the XI or are even playing minutes, maybe like Kosta Nedeljkovic and Emi Buendia. Buendia is playing minutes, but he has to show that progressively he is getting better. Kosta is a young player - he played some matches at the beginning of the season, but there is still work to do and adaptation for everything to have. Premier League, the tactical idea to manage as well and playing with confidence. This is the way he has to do and this is a process we are doing.
"Other players like Jaden, he is playing. Maatsen’s adaptation is going well and he is ready to play. We have Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings in case Pau Torres needs some help. Mings played on Wednesday, but he finished tired."
How good was it too see Mings perform at such a high level on Wednesday?
“Tyrone Mings, the most important of him, is his personality, his capacity as a player, a left centre-back, strong, he dominates to play under pressure in the Premier League.
“He didn’t [start] this season until Wednesday in the Premier League, but he played in the Champions League. In the dressing room as well, he is a very important player. He is one of our captains, and I appreciate him as a person, and one of our captains.”
