Why Emery's position remains strong as Villa head into new era

It has been quite the week at Aston Villa.

On the pitch, their winless Premier League start continued, prompting manager Unai Emery to label his side "lazy".

Then off the field, president of football operations Monchi left and was replaced by Roberto Olab.

All this comes before a return to the Europa League and Thursday's visit of Serie A side Bologna.

Yet Emery remains unbowed and focused even if Olabe's appointment suggests a shift in thinking at Villa Park.

If Monchi may have been about the here and now - his approach took Villa back to the Champions League - then former Real Sociedad sporting director Olabe is a longer-term appointment.

The intense nature of the job and his relationship with Emery meant Monchi wanted a break and, in time, a new challenge.

Villa staff found out on Monday before the news broke and there is an expectation internally there will be a instant synergy as Villa look to adjust and move forward.

After what can be viewed as a turbulent start to the season, that harmony would be welcomed.

Monchi's departure is not linked to Emery's future, short or long term.

They did not come as a pair, despite being successful at Sevilla, and Monchi was second choice behind Mateu Alemany, who was Barcelona's football director.

Emery had a big say in Olambe's appointment, showing his position is strengthened. He has a strong hold on decisions at the club and that has not changed with Monchi's exit.

Olabe is also Basque, with his and Emery's hometowns just 100 miles apart in northern Spain. The 57-year-old is also a former manager of Real Union, the third-tier club Emery owns in Spain.

They have worked together before when Olabe appointed him as Almeria manager in 2006 and they instantly found a connection.

Since then they have been looking to reunite - Arsenal was a possibility - and Olabe joining Villa gives Emery someone he has not only known for years but someone who will challenge him.

Olabe is a strong enough personality to say no, or suggest a different direction - Emery is essentially bringing in someone equal.

It is not one on a whim either, it is a strategy to maintain the structure and system - allowing Olabe to slot in with Emery, director of football operations Damian Vidagany, and the owners.

The move is also seen as further evidence of the more hands-on approach taken by co-owner Nassef Sawiris since the departure of chief executive Christian Purslow, who left two years ago.

Not that it solves Villa's poor form this season. Just three points and one goal from their opening five games is a drastic drop off from a side which has finished fourth and sixth in the last two seasons.

Emery labelled his side "lazy" after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland, with the manager heading down the tunnel before the final whistle.

It was a public broadside towards the players who have underperformed this season and shows the manager will not rest on past achievements.

Defender Ezri Konsa said the manager was right but dismissed the team was in crisis despite sitting in the bottom three.

Emery has been here before, though. He started the 2021-22 season with Villarreal with six winless games while Sevilla won just five of their opening 18 games in 2015-16 - a season which ended with Europa League victory over Liverpool.

The clash with Bologna gives Emery a return to a competition he has won four times and could offer vital respite to league woes.

Monchi's transfer record can be questioned but so can Villa's policy over the last few years.

Since promotion in 2019 under Dean Smith, they have spent more than £700m.

Of course, Villa have banked in excess of £400m in sales in the same period but almost half of that is from the £100m deal which took Jack Grealish to Manchester City in 2021 and Jhon Duran's £71m move to Al-Nassr in January.

Villa have been under severe financial restrictions to comply with Premier League and Uefa spending rules, having been fined by the European governing body this year.

They have been outspoken critics of Profit and Sustainability rules, insisting it has hampered their attempts to consistently compete with the top five [Villa voted against the introduction of the rules in 2015] but have still spent significant amounts.

That includes the pre-Monchi £17m vanity project of Philippe Coutinho who joined Vasco De Gama this summer having not played for Villa for two years after making just seven league starts.

They have broken their transfer record several times with the signings of Ollie Watkins, Emi Buendia, Moussa Diaby and, last year, Amadou Onana for £50m from Everton.

Yet of the XI who started Sunday's draw at Sunderland, just two were signed by Monchi and Emery - Morgan Rogers and Evann Guessand.

John McGinn was signed by Steve Bruce in 2018 while two - Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne - joined under Steven Gerrard with the rest being signed by Smith, who was sacked nearly four years ago.

Of Monchi's signings, Rogers, who was pushed by Emery for an initial £8m, has been a success with the forward becoming an England international, with Youri Tielemans, a free transfer, and Pau Torres recognised as others.

Yet Onana - currently out with a hamstring injury - started just 22 games due to injury last season, Diaby lasted a year, while Donyell Malen - a £21m signing from Dortmund in January - has made five starts.

Marco Asensio's loan from Real Madrid was a success in the second half of last season but Marcus Rashford's temporary move from Manchester United did not pay off.

The hit-and-miss nature of recent transfers means Emery has been reliant on a core of Smith signings: Emi Martinez, Matty Cash, Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Watkins.

It strengthens Emery's hand in that he has improved a squad which had previously struggled but suggests a larger problem with the transfer strategy, regardless of restrictions.

Those at Villa Park were not entirely happy with the summer business - despite the deadline day additions of Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott - because they were unable to get the majority of their desired players due to finances.

Yet, with Olabe focused on the medium-to-long term, there is likely to be an acceptance Villa have to grow in a different way with, potentially, more academy graduates.

Olabe bought and sold Alexander Isak at Real Sociedad while he also signed Martin Odegaard on loan and oversaw Martin Zubimendi's development before his £60m move to Arsenal.

He will need to bring the same skill to help Villa develop, especially as they plot a new path.