Fan Talk with Neil Dunworth: Villa can challenge on all fronts under Emery

Neil Dunworth, Aston Villa fan and host of the For the Love of Paul McGrath Podcast, believes the club are well placed for a successful 2023-24 at home and abroad under Unai Emery.

Feelgood factor

Every season, Aston Villa are awash with optimism, some (or much!) of which has proven to be false hope. 

But this time, there is very good reason to be excited.

Not since the Martin O'Neill days was there this level of hope about our chances in an upcoming campaign.

The club fell off a cliff after he left in 2010 and we have only just recovered from it. That has made fans much more appreciative of what they're now seeing.

From top to bottom, the whole club seems to be aligned — whether it be our brilliant owners, world-class sporting director or the legend that is Unai Emery, who underpins it all.

We mean business

Monchi and Co are not messing around with their transfer business this summer after bolstering the squad with Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby so far.

Tielemans has top-level Premier League pedigree, while Diaby looks like a real upgrade in our forward positions. He's a French international and adds a bit of unpredictability.

Meanwhile, Torres has not been short of suitors in the past and has clearly left Villarreal to be reunited with Emery. 

You wonder what his arrival means for Tyrone Mings in the long run but it's certainly not a bad problem to have — and not the kind of one we've had very often before.

Win the shirt

Of course, all those new faces will have to earn their place in a Villa XI that has performed superbly since the Basque tactician came in.

Mings was brilliant during our run to seventh and breaking up that defensive partnership with Ezri Konsa will take some doing.

Tielemans has the job of dislodging Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz. 

The Brazilian in particular took his game to a completely new level last season and I think next term he'll start to be recognised in wider circles as one of the top central midfielders around.

In Emery we trust

It's a season of unknowns as well as optimism as we compete in Europe for the first time in 12 years — and for the first time in the Europa Conference League.

If Villa had any manager other than Emery, who has a proven record of transforming mid-level clubs into European trophy winners, I would be saying let's prioritise the league or the Conference League.

But Emery should be able to juggle both competitions to ensure we can enjoy a fruitful Premier League campaign as well as giving Europe a good go — he is well versed at managing his squad in this way.

Consolidating in seventh or eighth would be a good season in my book. 

I'm sure many Villa fans would agree, though, that if we win a European trophy, I couldn't care less if we finish 17th!

Neil Dunworth was speaking to Cian Cheesbrough