Aston Villa captain, John McGinn has now given a peek behind the curtain into training at the club and how Unai Emery has changed things.
The change that Aston Villa have been partial to in the past year has been nothing short of spectacular to see.
There have been consistent players who have remained at the club and become star names in recent weeks and months.
This has pretty much all been down to the excellent work of Unai Emery who has come in and turned the tide at Villa Park.
There was an element of toxicity within the fan base towards the end of Steven Gerrard’s reign as Villa boss. This couldn’t be any different under the influence of the Spaniard.
The positivity was felt all around as Europa Conference League football was secured last season. This has only grown as Villa strive towards potential a Champions League spot this season.
Now captain, John McGinn has opened up and spoken about the demands that Emery has in every training session.
John McGinn on Emery training demands
There is no doubt that Villa are a well-oiled machine nowadays. No matter who lines up, the same 4-4-2 formation is used to positive effect.
It is clear that this is something that is worked on religiously in training and is obviously done well by the coaching staff.
In an interview with the official Aston Villa website, McGinn has been discussing how Emery works at Bodymoor Heath.
Firstly, he said: “The harder you work, the more you get out of it. That doesn’t mean you need to be running about every ten minutes doing ten gym sessions; it means as soon as you come in through these doors, you’re working.
“Once you leave, you’re with your family. Once you’re through these doors, we’re bang at it.”
It sounds like the attitude within training is perfect and this would point towards why the results have been so good. Considering they are still fighting on two fronts plus the Premier League, this has to be the case.
Going in on that point, McGinn said: “Ever since he’s (Emery) come in it’s been full throttle. The good thing for us is that was a full calendar year of being in the form that we were in.
“When you’re in the zone, playing all the time, playing cup games, playing international games, you don’t really get a chance to reflect and think. It’s been crazy but I don’t want it to stop.”
It is safe to say that things are going well. There’s been a few frustrating results like Sheffield United, Manchester United and Everton. Although that may be the case, there is a lot to be positive about and McGinn is proving that point.
