Perspective is important. Aston Villa has a lot on the line on Sunday. Certainly, fans can and should monitor the multitude of matches that will ultimately determine where AVFC finishes in the Premier League.
When listening to Unai Emery, however, in the final EPL pre-match press conference of the season, the Spaniard spoke on what is ultimately most important for his side. Villa can only go about their business during the upcoming 90 minutes of action at Old Trafford.
How Ruben Amorim decides to line up the opposition or what happens between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea is beyond the control of Villa. Their worrying about anything beyond the preparation inside of Bodymoor would, however, be a wasted effort.
Part of being a manager is setting the tone and establishing what takes priority. By the same token, eliminating distractions and keeping everyone focused on the task at hand is also an important aspect of being a coach that can often be overlooked.
While the nerves of all Villa supporters will be eagerly waiting for the first goal from the visitors at Old Trafford, while waiting for other results to go the Villans' way, Emery will undoubtedly be his same passionate, driven self on the sidelines, even if his side starts with a 3-0 lead at the half.
The Villa boss also made sure to note how much of an accomplishment it has been to secure a place in Europe for the third year in a row.
Sticking to the current plan for Aston Villa
However the chips fall against Manchester United, it is something that Emery, Monchi, and Damian Vidagany are building in B6. There is a looming PSR cloud over the club, and everyone was desperately wanting to see a trophy added this year.
Because of how Villa are going about things, though, it's doubtful that this will be looked on 10, 20 years from now as the missed chance that eluded the club. Instead, it's far more likely that this will be a strong year that will serve as a further solidifying foundational piece toward annual success and silverware contention for AVFC.