When the teamsheets came out on Sunday for the crucial top-four clash against Tottenham, many were left surprised by the Aston Villa XI.
Unai Emery opted to play a back five, or back three, however you want to see it, at home and in such a pivotal game.
The Aston Villa boss, who has got a lot of things right during his time as manager, got this one horribly wrong and it was proving to be the case in the first half.
Yes, Spurs didn’t have a single shot on target, but it was only a matter of time because there was no control from Aston Villa themselves on the ball, and that’s when the floodgates opened after the break.
Jamie Carragher says the Aston Villa fans questioning why Unai Emery changed the team’s tactics, to a defensive one, are ‘valid criticisms’ because they are the ‘better team’, playing at home and the ones sitting fourth in the table, as he told Sky Sports Premier League (11/03/24 at 6:50 pm).
The issue here is that the same type of tactics and formation was tried during the reverse fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in November.
Yes, Aston Villa won, but it was only after the team was getting battered in the first half and then the system changed in the second, by adding an extra midfield player, and Ollie Watkins then went on to secure the points.
All in all, this has left the fanbase frustrated and Jamie Carragher highlighted why they are right to feel this way because it was a negative approach that came out second best.
Unai Emery’s tactics against Tottenham
“There is a couple of reasons,” said Carragher. “Normally, when you are analysing the opposition, you are looking at the last four or five games and you are looking at that.
“The thing that really stands out is the two opposition who Spurs have faced coming into this game have both played a back three or a back five, however you want to put it. And they had success.
“So, you look at Gary O’Neil’s Wolves, they go to the Tottenham stadium and they win 2-1, and actually Crystal Palace, even though the score finishes 3-1, that was 1-0 to Palace up until the 79th minute.
“So, I think he (Emery), number one, has looked at what the opposition has done and they have had success.
“Number two, the actual set-up of Spurs and how many players they get between the lines. I think he has gone into the game thinking ‘how am I going to cope with this with a back four? Who is going to step in and jump?’ So, he has gone to a back three.
“The criticism will be, and rightly so, from Aston Villa fans is why are we changing for Spurs? Why are we doing something? Why aren’t they doing it to us? We are the better team. We are higher in the table and at home. I think they are valid criticisms.”
Ajax up next
This is going to be a totally different test because their quality isn’t at the standard of Tottenham’s.
Surely, there is no five at the back this time around because Villa need to get the win after a goalless draw in the 1st leg.
It was quite clear that Emery played for the clean sheet in Amsterdam and got what he wanted.
You will feel the team will be more on the front foot this time, and hopefully, it will result in progression to the next round of the Europa Conference League.
