Part of what has made this season for Aston Villa so incredible to follow is the depth. The 'starting 22' model allows for Unai Emery to have plenty of good options at his disposal, not just during the buildup to the matches, but within the 90 minutes as well.
The Villa boss has juggled this difficult task of needing to rotate squad members while fielding the most competitive side possible throughout all competitions. Certainly, there are instances where it looks in hindsight as if a mistake has been made in that regard. The reality is that unless a team wins, the supporters will often point to the seemingly obvious exclusion or chance that could have made the difference.
Despite those claiming that the Villa boss has fumbled on the few Villa losses that the side has suffered as of late, the Spaniard has done well managing a side that legitimately could feature an entirely different starting 11 for each match.
It is Emery and the staff, though, who analyze and assess their players during practice. They have a better feel for how players are feeling and who has the best chance of making the needed impact on a game-to-game basis.
In what must be one of the more challenging final decisions on a weekly basis, Emery has positioned AVFC well and allowed the club to achieve great heights this season.
With the looming PSR and transfer window aspect in play, this could be the last match against Manchester United that Villa are able to deploy this 'starting 22' concept. It makes sense at face value.
Bring in enough talent to withstand suspensions and injuries. Allow for the manager to have plenty of options to pick from to change the tide of the game and be comfortable in chasing results across all competitions.
Important upcoming decisions at Aston Villa
If it weren't for the need to stay under the revenue and wage proportions, it is safe to assume that Monchi, Emery, and Damian Vidagany would be more than comfortable repeating this renewed emphasis again next year.
As mentioned, however, that does not look likely with what is likely to come this summer. During the last fixture of the season that already has a lot at stake, it could also be a farewell, at least for the time being, of Villa's 'starting 22.'