With just one game of the 2023/24 calendar remaining, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has received high praise from two current Premier League players.
What a year it’s been for Aston Villa who confirmed their fourth-place finish on Tuesday night, securing their ticket to compete in next season’s Champions League.
It’s been a remarkable first full season at Villa Park for Unai Emery, who arrived only in 2022 when the squad was sat down in 16th place, turning things dramatically around to correct Steven Gerrard’s mishaps.
READ MORE: Exactly how much Aston Villa are set to make after qualifying for the Champions League
Not many would have dreamed that when the Englishman was in charge at the start of last term, Villa would go on to secure Champions League football so quickly, with all credit to Emery for his achievements at the club since his arrival.
As a result of the Spaniard’s development of the squad at Villa, the former Arsenal boss has been nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Season award, a prize that two current players in the league believe Emery deserves.
Tom Cairney and Michail Antonio think Unai Emery should win Premier League Manager of the Season
Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Andoni Iraola join Emery as the five candidates to win Manager of the Season, with the Villa boss emerging as the clear favourite in the eyes of Tom Cairney and Michail Antonio.
Taking to The Players Channel to discuss who should take home the award, the West Ham striker explained his decision to back Emery to claim the prize.
“I’m going Unai Emery, for me, I just feel what he’s achieved with Aston Villa this year is unbelievable and off the last few seasons, he’s turned them into a completely new team so I think it would be difficult to look past him.”
Fulham captain Cairney agreed with the 34-year-old’s verdict on who the best manager has been this term, saying:
“To get top four with Aston Villa and the history they’ve had in the Premier League of late is an incredible achievement, so Unai Emery.”
To catapult Villa from being a midtable squad to one capable of competing in the Champions League is an achievement that deserves recognition, particularly having navigated this season without some of his key players.
Why Unai Emery deserves to win Premier League Manager of the Season
Losing three of his starting XI to season-ending ACL injuries was not in Emery’s or Villa’s script however, it has been a scenario that the Spaniard has had to deal with.
There have been no complaints from the Villa boss over his lack of availability throughout the campaign, with a list of other less-severe injuries also plaguing Bodymoor Heath.
Still, the 52-year-old coach has managed to fire his squad into the top four of the Premier League whilst making it to the final four of the Europa Conference League, flexing his adaptability.
Aston Villa Premier League finishes since promotion in 2019
It’s a huge achievement for Emery to push Villa into the top four, particularly when revising that prior to his arrival, you’d have to span back to the 2010/11 season to seek the last time the club finished in the top 10 of the top flight.
Before the boss arrived, the Villans finished 17th in the season after their promotion from the Championship, followed by an 11th place finish and then ending the 2021/22 campaign in 14th, leading up to Emery’s takeover during the 2022/23 calendar.
The Spaniard needs little explanation as to why he is a strong candidate for the Manager of the Season prize, with many surely sharing a similar opinion to Cairney and Antonio ahead of the end-of-season awards.
The post Premier League stars make ‘unbelievable’ Unai Emery claim Aston Villa fans will agree with appeared first on Aston Villa News.