Unai Emery could be inspired to make a bold change at Aston Villa after reviewing Enzo Barrenechea in pre-season.
Aston Villa’s unbeaten start to pre-season ended on Sunday morning as Unai Emery’s side were torn apart by Columbus Crew.
The Villans began their pre-season tour with a heavy 4-1 defeat to the MLS club, with errors on show all over the pitch in claret and blue.
Despite conceding four with some lackadaisical play evident, Emery was able to take some positives from the loss, both of which came in midfield.
Enzo Barrenechea and Amadou Onana impressed for Aston Villa against Columbus Crew
The performances of two of Emery’s new arrivals were encouraging in the States, as Enzo Barrenechea and Amadou Onana impressed in midfield.
Barrenechea started the game in central midfield and played 63 minutes, while Onana was introduced in the flurry of substitutions when the Argentine was omitted.
It was a shame that the duo did not get to play alongside each other, given how well they performed individually in the fixture.
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Villa fans were impressed with Barrenechea, with many surprised at the level of composure he showed in midfield.
Similar can be said of Onana although in less surprising circumstances, given what Villa already know about the former Everton ace from his Premier League experience.
Given what Emery needed to find this summer in the transfer window after losing Douglas Luiz to Juventus and Boubacar Kamara to an ACL injury, the performance of the two new arrivals should open a book for the boss to study.
Unai Emery should trial Barrenechea and Onana combination in RB Leipzig friendly
After losing 4-1, Villa have the chance to right their wrongs in the States as a friendly against RB Leipzig is coming up on Thursday [1st August].
The Villans will battle the Bundesliga side at 1am on Thursday morning, where loyal supporters will hope to see Barrenechea and Onana put on a similarly impressive display.
What would be interesting is for Emery to properly trial a midfield pivot combining the two players’ skill sets, which could only end well for the manager if things go to plan against Leipzig.
When analysing Barrenechea’s performance against Columbus, journalist Jacob Tanswell described the 23-year-old as being “metronomic and a good anchor”, suggesting that he has the capability to cover for Kamara’s absence.
The traits noticed in the Argentine’s game are worth noting, considering the impact that could now have on Onana if a partnership were to be formed by Emery.
The Belgian is a destroyer in midfield however, he could now be handed a new lease of life if partnered beside the anchor-like figure of Barrenechea.
There were some reservations over how either player could replace the progressive nature of Luiz, which is something Onana certainly has the capacity to learn if given the space to explore.
With Barrenechea on board and impressing, now could be the perfect time for Emery to trial a new pivot at Villa, which could prove to bring the best out of both players.
