Usually when a team goes far in the Europa League, League form suffers.
#AVFC win the thing and finish 4th, after the lowest net spend in the league back in the summer.
Unai Emery- pound for pound the best manager in the League and the manager of the season.
Good luck to Aston Villa in Istanbul tonight. Just been asked on the radio whether Villa will win the Europa League final. Unai Emery and his staff will have done all their homework on Freiburg, analysed the strengths and weaknesses of Bundesliga’s seventh-placed club. Johan Manzambi is a box-to-box force. Vincenzo Grifo on the left can be a threat. Villa will respect Freiburg but not fear them. Emery is brilliant at preparing for challenges like this.
Emery has shown with Sevilla and Villarreal (does he live in a villa?) that he holds the map and compass for the Europa League journey, and now from the Bull Ring to Istanbul. He knows the way to glory. Emery also has John McGinn leading the way. Any team with a strong character like McGinn has a strong chance.
He’s 31, at his peak, a player who joined Villa in the Championship, fought hard to get them up, Rotherham away, down to 10 men, Mings off, Abraham missed pen, but a tough Scot drove them on to victory. “John McGinn was so good I thought there were two of him,” Dean Smith said. Villa back to fifth, play-offs, Wembley goal, promotion, Europe. McGinn deserves every accolade currently bestowed on him.
Youri Tielemans is a man for the big occasion. Any team with "Little Emi" Buendia and Morgan Rogers will have a supply line to goal, complemented by full-back forays of Lucas Digne and Matty Cash. Any attack with Ollie Watkins in this prolific vein of form (10 goals in 11 all comps) has a very good chance of chances being taken.
Any defence with Ezri Konsa has pace and composure, and a goalkeeper of great experience and belief in "Big Emi" Martinez. Villa have the players. They have the manager. They have the impassioned support. If Villa repeat the intensity that swept aside Nottingham Forest and Liverpool recently (McGinn scoring three times), Villa will win. #AVFC #UEL #UELfinal
@AVFCOfficial Top support woeful performance what we have come to accept at this club hopefully we have 1 win left in us and that the final cos there no chance we beat Liverpool or city on that showing today
@AVFCStatto I just hope we have at least 1 win in us and it’s the final because that level gets battered against Liverpool and city. Rogers has been awful since Dec/Jan but still plays every minute and to top it off he is also lazy
@TyBracey Whether it’s the first part or last part you still blamed them blame Rogers blame Cash blame matsen who all had absolute woeful performances! Rogers been crap since January needs calling out on it