‘Wow, that was fast… to go from Gerrard to Emery is a ridiculously big upgrade’: Fans praise Aston Villa’s appointment of former Arsenal manager after club lured the Spaniard from Villarreal in ‘quick fashion’
- Football fans were quick to praise Unai Emery’s appointment as Aston Villa boss
- Emery returns to the Premier League almost three years after his Arsenal sacking
- Villa’s board has also come in for plaudits for their quick and decisive action
Fans have taken to Twitter to share their reactions to Unai Emery’s surprise appointment at Aston Villa, less than a week after Steven Gerrard’s dismissal.
The Spanish coach, formerly at Arsenal, was announced as the club’s new manager on Monday night, and fans have been quick to praise both the coach along with the club’s swift action.
The 50-year-old was the current coach at LaLiga side Villarreal at the time, and as such the Premier League team paid some £5.2million to prise him away from last season’s Champions League semi-finalists.
Aston Villa have appointed Unai Emery as their new manager after sacking Steven Gerrard
Emery’s appointment to the hotseat at Villa Park has been met by largely positive reaction from fans of the club and football alike.
Emery returns to the Premier League less than three years after his Arsenal sacking
‘Wow, that was fast,’ wrote one Twitter user, ‘It’s one that could just suit the club. To go from Gerrard to Emery is a ridiculously big upgrade #avfc.’
Another echoed the praise, but was less optimistic about coming up against the 50-year-old, adding: ‘Unai Emery is gonna be tough to beat, may our Arsenal match between Aston Villa for the second leg come quick.’
But it was the Villa board’s decisive action, rather than his impressive CV that came in for the most praise.
One user wrote: ‘Emery at Villa already damn that was quick’
Another agreed, saying: ‘Villa moved fast there Emery linked 2 hours ago and it’s now done.’
And a third hailed the club for recognising that there was an issue that needed urgent attention: ‘Villa accepted a change was required, saw instant response from the players then tied up Unai Emery in quick fashion.
‘That’s how you run a football club astutely.’
But not all on Twitter shared glowing praise of the appointment, with one suggesting that perhaps Emery was not quite the man Villa fans might have wanted to see in the dugout.
They joked: ‘Aston Villa wanted Poch and looks like they’ve got Emery,’ followed by a laughing emoji.
However another was more interested in how the move might affect the former Gunners boss’ career, noting: ‘Unai Emery kinda downgraded but yeah, good luck to him.’
Emery, 50, spent 18 months in charge of Arsenal between May 2018 and November 2019
And another suggested that he may have made a mistake in passing up on another opportunity that came calling last season: ‘Unai Emery was quick to decline Newcastle a few months ago but accepts Villa within a few hours.’
Emery joins a Villa side in 15th place in the Premier League after a poor start to the season, although a 4-0 win over Brentford at the weekend will surely have given them some much-needed confidence.
However the Spaniard’s first five games in charge will include fixtures against Manchester United, Tottenham, Brighton and Liverpool in what is likely to be a tough test to kick start his career at Villa Park.
Emery took LaLige outfit Villarreal to the Champions League semi-finals last season
Villa are in 15th place in the Premier League after a dismal start under Steven Gerrard
