Only 12 months ago, Newcastle United were enjoying the limelight of Europe’s biggest stage, with Aston Villa singing and dancing on it now.
Unai Emery and Eddie Howe have done remarkable jobs ever since they took over their respective posts, especially given where the clubs were at.
In November 2021, Newcastle replaced Steve Bruce with Howe, with the team fighting relegtion at the time, but then going on to comfortably survive and then finish in the Champions League places a season later.
Emery walked into Villa Park in October 2022, once again, with the team hovering above the drop zone, but then going on to finish in Europe.
But it was Emery’s first full season in charge where he really made a name for himself because he guided Villa into the Champions League for the first time in decades.
This is despite Howe and his Newcastle team putting five goals past Villa on the opening day of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
The duo have had great battles since then, including the Magpies beating the Midlands side home and away last term.
But Howe’s assistant, Jason Tindall, was pretty classy in his comments when discussing Villa and how their manager sets up for games.
Howe and Tindall were asked to build their perfect manager from the best tactical manager, the one with the best aura, the best speech, as well as the one with the best defensive structure.
Tindall gave his flowers to Emery for how he defensively sets up his team and why he is the best at it, as he told Adopted Geordies.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery praised by Newcastle United for his defensive structure
“I would say Emery has always been renowned for his defensive structure,” expressed Tindall.
“He has done great wherever he has been with that, done a great job at Aston Villa since he’s been there. I’d have to put him in that type of category for setting up a good defensive unit.”
Aston Villa trying to repeat Champions League finish
Newcastle ended up seventh last term after finishing fourth, with that position not yielding any European football because Manchester United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Villa will be hoping to learn from that and not go down the same road, but you feel they are in a different head space.
First and foremost, there is a new Champions League format, which suits Villa and would have suited Newcastle last season.
READ MORE: TalkSPORT pundit drops outrageous Unai Emery claim that Aston Villa fans will disagree with
Villa have a bigger squad, whilst their opponents proceeded to lose summer signing Sandro Tonali last season early on through suspension and that put them on the back foot.
Whilst Emery has several key players returning from the treatment room when club football returns from national duty, including long-term absentees Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings.
