'A clear sign' - pundit unveils theory on Unai Emery's Aston Villa future after major announcement

Aston Villa are back in Premier League action this Sunday with a home clash against Fulham as they search for their first league win. In the meantime, they have a Europa League game against Bologna to get through first at Villa Park on Thursday night. It has been a poor start to the season for the Midlands outfit.

Unai Emery’s men are winless in their first five league fixtures and are in the bottom three. They drew 1-1 away at Sunderland last time out. Matty Cash got their goal at the Stadium of Light against the Black Cats but they weren’t able to secure the victory.

Aston Villa behind-the-scene change

Aston Villa have seen President of Football Monchi head out the exit door. Roberto Olabe has been brought in to replace him. He has joined having held a similar role at Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Emery has a good relationship with Monchi and his departure has raised questions about the Spaniard’s long-term future. In this latest update, reporter Graeme Bailey has delivered his verdict, as per a report by TBR Football: “No, they’re fully committed to Emery. They know they’ve got a world-class manager there. And I think the Olabe appointment is a clear sign that they brought him in to help Emery, to be part of the Emery project. It’s a clear sign the Emery project is still green-lit, full steam ahead. Emery is key to that whole thing. He wants to put it right – we’re seeing that.

“If it hadn’t been someone like Olabe, I would have had my doubts. But the fact it’s Olabe coming in, I think really underlines the commitment of the owners to Emery, and should give the fans who want Emery to stay some real comfort in that appointment.”

What now for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa were limited to how much they could spend this past summer due to PSR rules. They had to be shrewd with their recruitment and ended up bringing in the likes of Evann Guessand, Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho. It has taken them a while to get going so far in this campaign.

It is still early days though and they still have plenty of time to turn things around and hit form. Their upcoming European clash against Bologna could present Emery with a chance to mix up his side. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make some changes to freshen things up.

Aston Villa were left frustrated after their draw at Sunderland. They played a large chunk of the match against 10 men. It looked like they were on their way to a much needed three points when Cash scored with a long-range strike. The hosts pegged them back through Wilson Isidor though and they then weren’t able to find a winner.

Emery has done a great job on the whole since his move back in 2022 though. He has transformed the club and got them into Europe. This is his first real rough patch and he will want the fans to stick with him.