Aston Villa fans will love this Unai Emery tactics trend and how it could boost 6 key players

Aston Villa’s search for a new manager came to a close on Wednesday evening as Unai Emery was announced as Steven Gerrard’s successor. The former Arsenal boss will take over the Villans from November 1, once his work permit formalities have been completed.

Established as one of the highest-level coaches in football, Emery has previously managed the likes of Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal. The Spaniard has also built up quite a reputation for European success having won the UEFA Europa League on four occasions and finishing runner-up once.

This included an unprecedented three successive titles at Sevilla between 2014 and 2016 - an achievement that hasn’t been matched since. Emery now takes to the dugout at Villa Park, hoping to revive a side currently hovering just three points above the relegation zone.

Interim head coach Aaron Danks prepared somewhat of a better platform for the new man, with a dominant 4-0 victory over Brentford last weekend. Emery will no doubt be thankful for the extra few points - as he would’ve otherwise been taking over a side in the bottom three.

Danks has one more task before handing over the reins, as he will lead the Villans away at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon. If Villa can get the better of Newcastle on the day, Emery could be taking over a side in mid-table - much better than when he agreed to become the new head coach.

Regardless of the result next weekend, Villa supporters will be keen for the team to move up the league standings as quickly as possible. With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at how the new man in the dugout is likely to set out his side - including the formations and tactics seen in his previous roles.

What formations and tactics does Unai Emery use?

Over the years, Emery has largely favoured two formations - both using four at the back. The Spaniard hasn’t been tempted away from this philosophy despite many sides across Europe evolving to a back three with wing-backs - including Antonio Conte, who has had great success with such shapes at Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Instead, Emery tends to use a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation, with the former the most common. With both systems, there is a real focus on the team’s ability to get forward through the centre of midfield. In the past, the likes of David Silva at Valencia, Ivan Rakitic at Sevilla, Marco Verratti at PSG, and Granit Xhaka at Arsenal have been particularly influential.

This narrow shape is best effective when on the counter-attack, with a quick, physical striker often leading the forward line. At Arsenal, the then-top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the man to unlock defences, making runs through the channels and being picked out by a creative attacking midfielder behind.

To provide defensive cover while countering - especially in the 4-2-3-1 shape - a midfielder, or sometimes two, will often drop deep. This is to allow one or both of the full-backs to offer additional support on the flanks. At PSG, Adrien Rabiot would often head into the centre of defence while the likes of Dani Alves pushed forward.

When necessary - usually when leading matches - Emery will also ask his players to retain possession and drop a little deeper. Even then, though, the hope is playing slowly out from the back can draw the opposition in, allowing a sudden killer pass to open up more attacking opportunities.

Sometimes, this daring style can leave a bit of a gap between those who have joined the attack and those in defence - offering opposition players the chance to advance with their own threat. With this risk, there is a heavy reliance on accurate passing - something Villa’s defenders and midfielders will have to get used to very quickly.

Which Aston Villa players could flourish under Unai Emery?

With Emery’s focus on building attacks centrally in a fairly narrow formation, it will naturally be Villa’s central midfielders, playmakers and strikers who benefit most. Though, with any team, everyone must of course contribute.

Having looked at the strikers who have succeeded under Emery’s management in the past - namely Aubameyang, Edinson Cavani and Carlos Bacca - it is likely that forward man Ollie Watkins could flourish under the new manager. His physicality and speed match what Emery looks for and he’s likely to become a key man as a result.

Philippe Coutinho is another member of the squad who could be crucial to the way Emery operates, using his quick thinking and vision to pick out Watkins and other forwards supporting, including Danny Ings and Leon Bailey. Behind Coutinho will likely be Douglas Luiz in the pivot - a role he has played well in previously.

Jacob Ramsey’s development is likely to progress under Emery as he too is expected to play a key role in counter-attacks. Under Gerrard, Ramsey was starting to come into his own and trust should be placed in him by the new manager. After all, Emery handed the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe their senior debuts at Arsenal, showing he’s not afraid to utilise young players.

In defence, Diego Carlos’ lengthy spell on the sidelines is a real shame as he would’ve likely been a huge presence when passing out from the back. In the meantime, though, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings will need to develop their partnership - working on their own build-up play.

It will be interesting to see how full-backs Matty Cash and Lucas Digne fare under Emery, with his system better suited to central players. The pair may not have as much freedom to get forward as under Gerrard - but they should still have the opportunity to support attacks when deep-lying midfielders drop into defence.