Former Aston Villa midfielder heaps praise on Emery, but expects club to drop out top four as season approaches
Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie says Unai Emery has been a ‘brilliant’ manager at the club – but expects his side to struggle for top four this season.
The Villains enjoyed an incredibly successful 23/24 campaign, finishing the season in the final Champions League spot.
And Emery has so far brought in eight new players, with defensive midfielder Amadou Onana and left-back Ian Maatsen, and Hendrie remains excited for his former club’s upcoming campaign.
Speaking at the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championships, he told event organisers Champions (UK) plc: “Unai did brilliant last season, there’s no doubt that getting into the Champions League and finishing in a fantastic league position is quite unique, and it’s something that Villa have been striving for, for quite some time.
“It’s been great to see that the club’s on the up and people have started believing, while the players that have come in have bolstered the squad. It’s a really big squad there, I was at the game against Atletico (Madrid) and they’re showing really good signs, lots of quality and knowing that they’re going to have to come up against some really big sides, particularly in the Champions League.
“We know what the Premier League is all about,” he continued. “It’s the world’s best league for me.
“I like who Unai’s brought in, I’m sure that there might be a couple more to enter the building, and I’m really optimistic after seeing what they did last season. I believe the new faces that have come in can give that added extra spark of light. I’m looking forward to the season, but there’s going to be a big onus on them to go and do well.”
With further European football on the horizon, Villa will certainly have to utilise a larger squad as fixtures pile up. While Emery has undoubtedly added quality to his squad this summer, other teams around will be expected to improve.
The Villains may have a harder task of reaching the heights of the top four spots in the upcoming season, and Hendrie believes the odds are slightly against the Midlands side.
“I think there’s going to be sides that are going to be better and stronger,” he explained. “You’d expect Manchester United to be stronger, Chelsea to be stronger, Spurs, Newcastle. I think you watch what Newcastle did the season before where they got in the Champions League and just drifted away because of the overload of games.
“But I think Villa having the taste of being in Europe last season in the Conference League, I think that will have done them the world of good. I think that was just a bit of a rerun of what’s going to happen this season on a different scale.
“I just feel that squad depth is going to be massive and keeping players fit, and hopefully we can finish around that top six, it would be a superb continuation if not better, but I think that’s going to be a big ask.”
Aston Villa kick off their Premier League campaign next Saturday, as they travel to the London Stadium to take on a West Ham side who have also strengthened this summer.
Hendrie was speaking at the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championships at Nailcote Hall, Warwickshire.
