Aston Villa face Manchester United on the final day of the Premier League season, knowing they need a win to have hopes of securing a spot in the Champions League again
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery insisted Sunday’s opponents Manchester United still had an aura of “greatness” despite their ongoing struggles.
Villa are bidding to seal a Champions League place on the Premier League's final day and visit Old Trafford four days after United’s Europa League defeat to Tottenham compounded one of their worst-ever seasons.
Emery’s side are level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea and one better off than Nottingham Forest as the race for a top-five finish goes down to the wire.
Despite United’s woes, Emery said: “Always, (I expect) the best of them. The best. The greatness of Manchester United is still there. The great coach (Ruben Amorim) they have is still there.
“He did a fantastic job in Sporting Lisbon, fantastic and not for one year, not two years, not three years – consistently. When he arrived here, it was a difficult moment.
“Only one of them in the (Europa League) final could achieve their objective and they (United) lost. But their greatness is still being there. The coach is a great coach and the players are very good players.
“We have played here with Aston Villa for three years and I didn’t beat them here (Old Trafford). My respect is a massive respect for Manchester United, their players and for the coach.”
Victory for Villa, coupled with dropped points for Newcastle (at home against Everton ) and Chelsea (at Forest) would guarantee Emery’s side Champions League football for a second-successive season.
The former Sevilla, Paris St Germain and Arsenal head coach added: “We have Europa Conference League, Europa League and Champions League. We will finish in Europe and that’s the first target we set at the beginning of the season.
“We’re ambitious and our ambition is how we are being demanding over the second half of the season and arriving in the key moment with the possibility to be there.
“It’s not in our hands, but we did a really great effort to be here now, focusing on the match on Sunday with chances to be there.
“We’re very excited and 100 per cent motivated. We’re working and being disciplined about everything we have to try to do on Sunday. We’re respecting the opponent.”
Bouabcimpy
0
why Aston villa boss talking like this kkkk since when you show us respect just ask amorim to let you Winn tomorrow then you will see him leaving important players outside as he did Europa League final
ManUFans4ever
0
no worries..easy win for u
Tuudeirtu
0
Amorim is no way a great Coach just a big Clown 🤡 with No Coaching abilities just full of Ego's
What have you coached yourself? You're a big clown 🤡 yourself.
Lidbeklruy
0
are you just pleasing us or ? because we are dilapidated now with the loss at the Europa League final
Nooabknpty
0
Amorim is no way a great Coach just a big Clown 🤡 with No Coaching abilities just full of Ego's
Feyacdilnz
4
I agree, we have great players, and the coach may be great but he is currently failing the Team, and that makes it as if the players are bad. I am just praying and hope that United will rise from where they are and start next season on high. I am hoping this firesale they talk about is being carefully considered because we may lose great players. Look at Mctommony, and Amthony and how great they are doing, even Rashford, you can see the hunger in him to improve. We have lost great players due to the Amorim system and to afford a whole lot of new players will cost the Team lots of money, and work because there is that adoption period for players, etc, and who knows if all new players will adopt at the same time, is there not gonna be another flop again? I am really hoping to keep most of our players.
yecabcor
0
da premier league sides knows da weakness at united but our fans supporting for years an players played for years an also da managers can't see it
Nnaemekamike
7
Lol ,emery u don’t need to bribe us we will give you the winning 😂
yecabcor
0
another defeat as we go out of da premier league winless
yipaelnpu
0
mind game