It is known how incredibly hard Unai Emery works behind the scenes. In terms of preparation and seeking any and every avenue to gain an edge, the Aston Villa boss truly separates himself from other managers.
This adds to the puzzling start that has been witnessed from Villa to begin the campaign. Particularly after the preseason fixtures that saw many of the regular starters playing well, especially in the attack, it is somewhat astounding that the season has gotten off to the start that it has.
It could be interpreted, particularly with the latest additions, that fortunes are bound to change in B6 soon enough. After all, between Emery and the quality of the squad, it seems impossible for Villa to not be able to soon reel off a couple of wins in a row.
Good timing for Aston Villa
The international break certainly came at the right time for Villa. Regardless of what fans think of the quality of talent or otherwise, for whatever reason the side appeared deflated, and like they were not going to be able to build any positive momentum any time soon.
This break can now serve as something of a reset.
No matter how Villa look once Premier League play resumes, rest assured that Emery will have watched the first matches multiple times over and will have had more than enough time to come up with a contingency plan to fix whatever miscommunication is occurring or any approach that needs to be altered in order to have the side better prepared. It can appear all too simple sometimes as a fan to say that such and such is all that needs to be tweaked in order to have an improved product. There are always many more juggling parts and aspects to consider, though, than what meets the eye at the highest levels. Fortunately for Villa supporters, it is Emery who has the final decision-making power.