As Aston Villa continue their impressive push for a top-four finish, coupled with their deep runs in both the FA Cup and Champions League, the debate over Player of the Season is intensifying. We spoke to Charlie Haffenden of BirminghamWorld to explore the leading contenders.
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00:00Now, as Aston Villa continue their impressive push for a top-four finish, coupled with their deep runs in both the FA Cup and Champions League, the debate over player of the season is intensifying.
00:14We spoke to Charlie Haffenden of Birmingham World to explore the leading contenders.
00:19Villa's success this season has been driven by a collective effort, with several players stepping up in key moments.
00:25While the team's impressive progress in the FA Cup and Champions League has showcased their depth, the competition for player of the season is now tighter than ever.
00:35With the club's top four hopes still alive and their continental aspirations continuing to build, the decision on who deserves the accolade is far from clear.
00:45What's certain is that Villa's standout individuals have played a massive role in making this one of their most memorable campaigns in recent history.
00:55Charlie, let's look at Aston Villa and in terms of their season, yes, we've mentioned it's been a pretty meteoric rise from an IM race side ever so slowly.
01:05Last season was fantastic. This season, they've pressed on even more.
01:09They've done so well reaching the latter stages of the FA Cup, the Champions League as well.
01:13In terms of the standout players at Villa, we've mentioned Morgan Rodgers, Jake and Ramsey, they've sort of built a fantastic bit of a standout season, a breakthrough campaign, if you will.
01:26And then there's been quality throughout the side.
01:28Who's stood out for you in terms of understanding this system?
01:32You know, we've obviously mentioned John McGinn as well, he's been so good in terms of his rise from where he was to the Champions League under Unai Emery.
01:39It's been pretty incredible.
01:42Who stands out as a player of the season, possibly, to get that pick for Aston Villa?
01:46Yeah, I think there are so many that you could put into the conversation for player of the season for Villa and so many that have been crucial to Emery's system, the way he wants to operate.
01:56He's got quite a rigid structure.
01:57He wants his attacking midfielders and his wingers to kind of tuck in and form a diamond at times in midfield.
02:02He wants one striker who can get in beyond the lines, but someone to support Justin behind.
02:07We've seen Morgan Rodgers, the man at the number 10 role, when Marco Asensio was signed, then Rodgers moved out to the right, performing just as well in that position.
02:16Versatility being so important for so many of these players.
02:19John McGinn, as you've mentioned, Jacob Ramsey, even Marcus Rashford to an extent, going out on the left wing and then out front when Emery wants him to.
02:26But the standout for me is someone who's not really moved positions too much, but has just stayed in that midfield double pivot throughout the entire season.
02:33It's Uri Tielemans.
02:34We've seen even when fixture congestion has got crazy, quite literally crazy at times, you've had games every three or four days.
02:43Tielemans hasn't missed a beat.
02:44He's hardly even substituted off towards the end of games.
02:48Emery knows how important he is to his system, whether it's alongside Bubikar Kamara or alongside Amadou Onana, John McGinn, the likes.
02:56Tielemans is the one player that's always in there.
02:59You could argue as well Rodgers.
03:00He's hardly missed a beat either.
03:02But Tielemans, just the way that he picks up the ball, he knows exactly where his teammates are.
03:06Even when there's a high press, three or four players coming on to him, he knows exactly how to turn away from the danger.
03:12He can find a defence splitting pass.
03:14Three games in a row with an assist.
03:16It's just incredible, really, what he's done.
03:18And obviously being relegated with Leicester City, you think, is he going to hit that potential?
03:23He certainly has.
03:24It took him a bit of time to adjust under Emery.
03:26But this season, he's really come into his own.
03:27And in my opinion, one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, full stop.
03:30Yeah, obviously he had that potential at Leicester.
03:34We saw how good he could be on his day.
03:37You mentioned there the slow start to his Villa career.
03:39What do you sort of think was the main factors in turning that, turning a corner?
03:43And maybe Emery installing a bit of belief in him, a bit of confidence in him because he can be a world beater on his day.
03:50And he's proven it this season.
03:51His longevity and his fitness rate has been second to none.
03:55I think it's just the patience, really, because we saw he was a little bit raw at Leicester at times.
03:59Maybe his decision making was a bit rash.
04:02Emery's just helps him to adapt and calm down a little bit, maybe not get so frustrated.
04:07I think as well, not being in a relegation battle helps.
04:10Having higher quality players in and around him helps as well.
04:13But he's just thrived whenever players have come at him, the way he turns on the ball.
04:18It was a bit like John McGinn, actually.
04:19He wasn't quite that player.
04:21He was amazing, of course, at Villa, a cult hero, one of the fan favourites, the club captain.
04:25But the way he moves on the ball has changed completely since Emery comes in.
04:29I think there's something there with individual instructions that's really helped the midfielders
04:33because you see so many teams with a high press nowadays.
04:37Villa don't seem as susceptible to it as others playing so, so often.
04:41But he does.
04:42And it's been mega impressive.