Unai Emery faced the media on Saturday as Aston Villa prepare to take on Brentford in their final match of the Premier League Summer Series.
The Villa head coach discussed several topics including the club’s pre-season trip to the USA, preparations for the season ahead, squad depth and more.
Villa face Brentford at FedExField in Landover, Maryland as they take another step forward in their 2023/24 preparations, coming off the back of matches against Newcastle United and Fulham on the East Coast.
Here’s what Unai had to say…
On Villa’s defensive line-up…
“Now we have four centre-backs, I think we have really, really strong centre-backs.
“We are going to play usually with two but sometimes we can use three and now is the moment to practice.
“We have as well Calum Chambers, he can play as a centre-back. But I envisage him now more as a right-back and as a midfielder.
“We are now ready to try to practice something different, like we did on Wednesday against Fulham; and on Sunday as well maybe we can use some moments in 90 minutes to practice something like this.”
On our pre-season trip to the USA…
“We are very happy here because we have very good facilities, very good hotels to rest and have our meals.
“To work every day like we want to do in the position here, we are really doing very well.
“They are warm days, but it is normal as well to adapt, to get fit and don’t change our plan.
“And then here we are preparing with the players, we are playing three matches, very, very tough matches and being very competitive against them.
“Playing matches like that, we can be happy seeing our performances and being competitive.
“And, as well, playing with some young players, who are showing us in the future they will help us maybe in this season or another season, being an important player for Aston Villa.
“And the supporters, they are here supporting us. In our first match there were 40,000 people, the second match 16,000 people, on Sunday hopefully as well it will be similar to that.
“It’s the reason we can be happy here and be here seeing a lot of supporters of football, the Premier League and, as well, Aston Villa.”
On three games this week helping preparations for the season ahead…
“It could be the same during the season, playing Europa Conference League, FA Cup or Carabao Cup.
“It’s been very important for us, this adaptation.
“Some players have the habit to play a lot of matches in their club, or maybe here as well.
“But probably, the players who were here at Aston Villa in the last years, playing in FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but not in Europe.
“And Europe is adding usually another 10, 12, 13 matches more for each team and this year hopefully we can play those matches.
“Being competitive and being really in our target to try to get something.
“We have to be candidates in Europe, we have to be candidates to be in the top six in the Premier League, we have to be candidates to be fighting to get a semi-final or final in the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.
“Maybe not this year, but we have to do one objective in our mind, try to get in the year we are going to be working here together in those competitions, something important.
“That’s because our objective is not changing. I remember when I arrived here, my objective was to play in Europe and we achieved this objective last year.
“And now we want to add to be candidates in a trophy and my objective here is to win a trophy. As a coach to get my best performances and, of course, we need the help of the owners, the supporters, the players and everybody together to try to do it.”
On squad depth…
“I want two players for each position.
“Goalkeepers are always two and one young; young 'keeper we have.
“And then two for each position, as well as young players trying to use them helping us in some moments.
“More or less, we are speaking about 25 players in the squad. And, of course, the possibility to get in.
“But now, we are, of course, trying to do a test with some young players. Who is ready now to help us in the quality and capacity we need.”