Aston Villa v Tottenham: Villa are urged to earn their Spurs in battle for Europe
Unai Emery wants to develop a “culture of effort” at Villa and has called on his players to enjoy the challenge of tomorrow’s European six-pointer with Tottenham.
The boss admits the visit of Spurs, who sit two places and three points above eighth-placed Villa in the Premier League table, could spell the end of his team’s dream of Europe should the result not go their way.
Yet a win would put them right back in the mix and Emery, who took over Villa when they sat just above the relegation zone last November, wants his players to remain positive.
“After losing the last two matches I was a little bit disappointed but I have to analyse everything, longer in my time here,” he said.
“We’re now facing Tottenham, to be in the European places. We are in this run now and we can still take a European place.
“We’re not under pressure, we have to enjoy and connect with our supporters and be together. It’s amazing to face Tottenham and those players. I want to see and watch our players facing them – taking duels – and I want to be positive.”
Emery, a four-time winner of the Europa League, is aiming to extend a run of 15 consecutive seasons managing in European competition.
The most recent of those was with Villarreal and he explained how he has now adopted a slogan used by the Spanish club’s owner in his own work. He said: “I’m trying to build a culture of effort. That’s what’s in my mind, this culture of effort. We had this strong message at Villarreal because the owner has the same message in his business.
“And I’m going to use that. I took it for myself – the culture of effort.
“The players are following everything we are trying to put in their way. We push them every day and they are following it.”
He added: “We have to be always trying for excellence but excellence is very difficult to achieve. But it is there and when you achieve excellence you improve even more.
“So keep seeking excellence – which is trying to take everything from each individual player, their particular quality and use it in combination with the other players
“In football you can always improve, but you have to be very clinical in your analysis.”
Villa face Liverpool and Brighton, two other teams in the hunt for Europe, after tomorrow.
Emery said: “It will be very difficult but that is the challenge. If you are facing easy challenges, then it is not really that important.
“We have the opportunity now because we deserve it and we are progressing. The players are very excited by that.
“Now we are going to play Tottenham. Four years ago the played the Champions League final. Next week we play Liverpool, who played the final last year and against Tottenham four years ago. I was there watching the match. If we play in Europe, it will be amazing.”
