Aston Villa v Everton preview: Emery wants best for Ashley Young - but not tomorrow
Unai Emery has paid tribute to Ashley Young and explained why he decided not to offer the wideman a new Villa deal.
Young returns to Villa Park tomorrow as part of the visiting Everton team, having agreed a one-year deal with the Toffees in the summer following his release.
The 37-year-old expressed some disappointment at being told of Villa’s decision after the final game of last season, meaning he was denied a proper send-off at a club where he made more than 200 appearances across two spells.
Emery yesterday explained how the importance of the last fixture, which saw Villa beat Brighton to secure a return to Europe, was a factor in the timing, while insisting the decision to release Young was merely “tactical”.
He said: “Always I respect the players. I think he (Young) deserved that.
“Our decision made was after we finished the season because the last match we were fighting to be in Europe. The decision with Young was after it.
“It is always difficult to tell someone if your decision is you are not going to continue with them.
“Always is respect and he has continued to play in the Premier League and is keeping up his performances.
“Of course, I don’t want the best for him for Sunday but otherwise I wish the best for him individually and collectively after the match on Sunday.
“The decision was tactical. It is always about how we can continue developing here at Aston Villa.”
Villa finished last season on a seven-match home winning streak and will be aiming to extend both that and a four-match winning run over Everton.
Emery, who admitted to having analysed “deeply” last weekend’s 5-1 opening day defeat at Newcastle, is hoping his players can pick up where they left off at Villa Park.
“I’m 51 years old and, in my 17 years of being a coach, things haven’t changed a lot,” he said.
“The performance is always usually better at home than away.
“Of course, I keep being demanding to try to get the same results away as at home.
“We have to create again, we have to build again at home our strong structure with our supporters and try to get the points we want.
“It’s a challenge.
“It’s trying to keep the consistency in the matches that we had at the end (of last season) and remembering we have to be focused, we have to be strong, being organised, trying to impose our idea, trying to respect the opponent.”
Everton, beaten 1-0 by Fulham in their first match of the season, could welcome back striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin following his return from injury.
Villa forwards Bertrand Traore and Jhon Duran are back in training but unlikely to be available for selection.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.